


Undetected

by frimfram



Series: Undetected [1]
Category: Justice League International (Comics)
Genre: Character Turned Into a Ghost, Detectives, Gen, Please imagine your own Maguirefaces, Screenplay/Script Format
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-29 05:17:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14465850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frimfram/pseuds/frimfram
Summary: Welcome to Hub City, Illinois: New Earth's most festering pit of vice and deception. The last place you'd expect to find a nice coupla sleuthing ghost heroes like Sue and Ralph Dibny. But old habits die harder than old heroes: when a long-time pal finds his hands full fighting Hub's graft scandals, wet work, and double dealing, Ralph and Sue are keen to help pick up the slack. Walking among the dead gives them the inside track on Hub's murders, and when the victim of a brutal hit collars them on her quest for justice the couple find themselves holding a political timebomb, primed to explode. In the face of police corruption, in a case where everyone's got an agenda, can our spectral heroes uncover the truth and secure justice from beyond the grave?Meanwhile, why is the ghost population of Hub dwindling? Who's the mysterious broad propping up the bar at our heroes' favourite haunt? And wait a second, isn't that Hal Jordan's dad?(Tagged as 'Major character death' only because the major characters were, y'know, canonically dead to begin with.)NB: This is a complete series in comic-script form that I wrote in 2010, when eyeball deep in pre-Chandler noir but also kitschy Eighties comics that ended badly.





	1. Undetected #: Dead Beat

**UNDETECTED**

Issue #1 of 4

"Dead beat"

 

By Gonzo the Mechanical Bastard

October 2010

 

***

Lots of these characters belong to DC Comics. No profit made, no copyright infringement intended.

***

 

**PAGE ONE**

The page is divided horizontally into four identically-sized panels.

 

**Panel One**

Overhead shot of a grubby, concrete yard at the rear of a dilapidated tenement building. It's early morning, but there's no sunshine: the brickwork and tarmac are soaked dark with melt-water, as an early spring thaw chases away the last traces of the winter's snow and ice into the drains. What little daylight there is gets blocked from the yard by the struts supporting an  [ elevated railway line ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chicago-Loop-SEcorner.jpg) , which runs so close to the building it must make the windows rattle. Just beneath the overpass a stack of metal trash cans are clustered, overflowing with garbage bags. Next to them on the concrete another Hefty bag lies burst open, spilling eggshells, newsprint, and orange peel. Next to the bag sprawls a body.

 

The body is that of a black woman, thirtyish, sturdily built and cheaply dressed. This is LATOYA MITTY. Her hair is cropped close to her head and she wears knock-off gold stud earrings. She has on blue jeans with a pair of fake Uggs and a cowl-necked sweater. She is lying on her side, and blood pools beside her from a fracture to the back of her skull.

 

CAPTION: BELLEVILLE, HUB CITY.

 

VOICEOVER CAPTION (white text on black): THEY DON'T LIKE THE "D" WORD  UP HERE.

 

**Panel Two**

The exact same scene, but the stronger daylight shows that hours have passed. A train is trundling by on the L track. An ELDERLY MAN is now also out in the yard, standing rooted to the spot, some distance from LATOYA's body. He's staring at it in horror, his own garbage bag dropped by his side.

 

V/O CAPTION: ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I LEARNT. 

YOU CAN SAY "CROSSED OVER", or "DEEP  SIXED". EVEN "RUBBED OUT". "BLOWN  AWAY". 

BUT NO ONE JUST PUTS IT ON THE LINE AND  SAYS WHAT WE **ARE**.

 

**Panel Three**

The same scene again, mid-afternoon. The yard's now swarming with uniformed cops and CSIs. A bored-looking detective in a trench coat is interviewing the ELDERLY MAN from the last panel. A beat cop is squatting by LATOYA's body, hands on hips, while another snaps photographs. 

 

V/O CAPTION: WHAT **HAPPENED** TO US ALL.

 

**Panel Four**

And the same scene again, around nightfall. Everyone's gone, and the spilled garbage has been cleared away. A chalk outline marks where LATOYA's body lay, and police tape cordons off the area. 

 

V/O CAPTION: **DUMB,** I ALWAYS THOUGHT. NEVER TO LOOK IT  RIGHT IN THE EYE. 

AIN'T IT WHAT **DEFINES** US ALL? AIN'T IT THE  **CROWNING MOMENT** , THE ONE DAMN FACT YOU  CAN'T ESCAPE? 

THE **MOST IMPORTANT THING** IN OUR DAMN  WORLD?

 

**PAGE TWO**

This is our title splash. It shows the yard again, by night, the chalk silhouette gleaming in the moonlight. Next to it stands LATOYA MITTY. She's translucent, and the garbage cans are visible through her insubstantial form. The wound is absent from her head. She holds up her two hands in front of her and stands staring down at them, abject, seeing how the faint moonlight passes through. 

 

Title: ISSUE ONE - DEAD BEAT

Credits and apologia go here.

 

**PAGE THREE**

**Panel One**

Establishing shot of a busy street market in Chinatown. It's late afternoon, and the first streetlights and stall lanterns are lighting up. Among the market stalls, posters pasted to the lampposts and grimy alley walls promote candidates for an upcoming mayoral election: "CARBONE: THE  **HEART** OF  **HUB** IN 2010"; "VOTE FOR CHANGE - VOTE FOR CHANDLER". On a newsstand a poster announces "CITY SPORTS EDITION: MLB: DYNAMOS ROUT ALLOYS 13-2".

 

CAPTION:  CHINATOWN, HUB CITY. TWO DAYS LATER.

 

**Panel Two**

Closer in on a pair of elderly Chinese women working at a dim sum stall (like  [ this one ](http://www.mangovine.net/site/entry/mong_kok_street_food/) ). The stall's loaded up with dumplings, fried snacks, and steaming tureens of tea. A beat-up old payphone is visible mounted to the wall behind the stall. One of the women (CHEN) is holding up her wrinkled hands before her face and staring at them amazed, as though seeing them for the first time. By contrast with LATOYA's last panel, her hands are perfectly substantial. Her friend (LIU), sitting next to her behind the stall with her arms crossed over her chest, is smiling in satisfaction.

 

CHEN: WOAH.

 

LIU: I KNOW. IT NEVER GETS OLD.

SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

 

**Panel Three**

CHEN, still holding up her hands disbelievingly, looks doubtfully at the payphone on the wall while LIU keeps a faintly worried eye on the shoppers trailing through the market.

 

CHEN: I JUST... PICK IT UP?

JEEZ, I'M RUSTY.

 

LIU: WELL, DON'T TAKE ALL DAY. WE'LL GET  CUSTOMERS,  AND MY **MANDARIN'S** ABOUT AS HOT  AS YOUR **MOTOR FUNCTION**. 

 

**Panel Four**

Shakily, CHEN picks up the handset of the payphone and dials a number while LIU feeds a quarter into the coinslot.

 

**PAGE FOUR**

**Panel One**

Close up on CHEN as she speaks into the phone, face wrinkled with anxiety. LIU's voice appears from off-panel.

 

Phone (elec) RENEE: YEAH?

 

CHEN: **MONTOYA**? IT'S--

 

LIU: **AHEM!**

 

CHEN: -! RIGHT. NEVER MIND; LISTEN--

 

**Panel Two**

Cut to RENEE MONTOYA in an apartment, sitting on her bed, dressed in civvies with her trenchcoat and hat hung up on a nail on the back of the door. An edition of the HUB TRANSMITTER newspaper is open on the bedsheets (to establish that she's in Hub City too). She's frowning while holding the phone: she gets a lot of this sort of crap. 

 

RENEE: HOLD UP, **WHO** IS THIS?

 

Phone (elec) CHEN: WELL, ISN'T THAT THE **QUESTION**?

 

**Panel Three**

Switch back to CHEN in the marketplace, grinning broadly at her own joke. In the background, a YOUNG CHINESE COUPLE approach the food stall.

 

Phone (elec) RENEE: LISTEN, LADY--

 

CHEN: IT'S ABOUT THE **SOUTHGATE CASE**.

 

Phone (elec) RENEE: ...

I'M LISTENING.

 

**Panel Four**

While CHEN sticks the finger of her free hand into her ear to block out the chatter of the market, LIU smiles desperately and shrugs in incomprehension at the YOUNG CHINESE COUPLE, who are now pointing at the food on the stall, trying to communicate their order to LIU. 

 

CHEN: SOUTHGATE'S THE **BAGMAN** FOR NOVEMBER'S BIG  CITY HALL WANNABE, CHANDLER. YOU'VE BEEN  TRYING FOR  MONTHS TO PROVE HE'S BENT.

 

Phone (elec) RENEE: I KNOW THAT ALREADY.

 

CHEN: I'VE GOT YOUR PROOF. SOUTHGATE'S  SUBSIDIARY, **VIRTUALIM**? THE SQUEAKY-CLEAN  SOURCE OF HIS CASH? THEY'RE A FRONT. THEY  DON'T **EXIST**.

 

**PAGE FIVE**

**Panel One**

We cut back to RENEE. She's sitting upright now, on the edge of the bed, using both hands to hold the phone closer to her ear: she looks skeptical still, but she's gonna bite. 

 

RENEE: SURE THEY DO. I'VE SEEN THE PAPERWORK.

 

Phone (elec) CHEN: THEY **USED** TO. BUT **KORD OMNIVERSAL** BOUGHT  OUT VIRTUALIM IN THE  **NINETIES**. ANY RECORDS  SINCE THEN ARE FAKED. DOUBLE-CHECK THE  FILES; YOU'LL SEE IT.

 

**Panel Two**

Back in the marketplace, the YOUNG CHINESE COUPLE trying to order food are now regarding LIU with all-out suspicion. LIU grabs CHEN's arm, even while she tries to finish her phonecall. CHEN is grinning.

 

Phone (elec) RENEE: HOLD UP. HOW DO YOU **KNOW** THIS? YOU ONE OF  CARBONE'S **SPIES**?

 

CHEN: I GUESS YOU **COULD** CALL ME A SPOOK...

Bwa ha ha.

 

**Panel Three**

LIU, frowning, grabs the phone receiver from a surprised CHEN and slams it back into the cradle.

 

FX (Phone handset): \--CLICK!--

 

**Panel Four**

LIU drops her hand onto CHEN's shoulder, giving her rather a grim look. CHEN shrugs, palms upwards, a little regretful.

 

LIU: IT'S TIME THE SPIRIT FLED.

 

CHEN: AW, I WAS GETTING USED TO IT...

 

**Panel Five**

Abruptly CHEN bends double, grabbing her head in her hands and screaming: her eyes are pupilless and an electrical white light pours out of them. LIU's head snaps back and her mouth makes the circle of a silent scream. Her eyes are also blanked out with that electrical white. She grabs the bench of the dim sum stall for support, hard enough to crack the wood. The two previously-irate customers jump back in shock. 

 

CHEN: AAAAAA阿阿~~~!

 

**PAGE SIX**

**Panel One**

This panel is the full width of the page. It shows the dim sum stand, and a little more of the marketplace surrounding it. At the left of the panel, the young couple are helping CHEN into a seat behind her stall, while LIU continues leaning against the bench; the two women stare at one another in astonishment.

 

CHEN: 我的天哪!

 

LIU: ...刚刚发生了什么？

 

Over on the right of the panel we see two tailless speech balloons, disembodied, hovering beside the next market stall along.

 

BALLOON #1: NOT A VERY SMOOTH DISMOUNT. 

 

BALLOON #2: OH MY GOD. IS IT ALWAYS THAT NAUSEATING?

 

**Panel Two**

Page-width again. We've panned back a little further to reveal more of the market place, and pulled away from the dim sum stall, further along up the narrow lane that leads away from it. The stall is still visible in the background, and a small crowd of concerned onlookers has formed there. In the foreground of the panel, though, images of RALPH DIBNY and TED KORD have faded faintly into view. They're walking away from the commotion at the dim sum stand, and are still highly translucent and almost colourless in this panel. 

 

RALPH's in the suit and tie he was wearing in the final issue of  _ 52 _ . TED's in the Blue Beetle gear he had on at the end of  _ Countdown To A Massive Waste Of Everyone's Time And Goodwill. _ He's got the cowl and goggles off and looks ready to lose his lunch. Otherwise they both look exactly like they did the second before they were each killed. (This is a kinder and gentler gritty noir comic and we're not going to feature our heroes' viscera and pituitary tissue heavily on-panel.)

 

RALPH: IT GETS EASIER. FOR YOU AND FOR THEM. 

MY FIRST TIME  **BURNED** A BIT TOO. 

**Panel Three**

RALPH and TED have reached the end of the street. RALPH is looking a little more solid now, but TED is fainter if anything. He looks seconds from keeling over, and RALPH puts an arm around him for support.

 

TED: I NEED A DRINK. OR MAYBE A **PRIEST**.

 

**PAGE SEVEN**

From here through page eighteen more or less everyone on-panel is dead, so they can all be shown almost solid instead of translucent.

 

**Panel One**

Page-width exterior shot of an urban bar signed  [ THE BLIND TIGER ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_tiger#Blind_pigs) . It's obviously derelict: the place is boarded up, with a metal grille and shutters pulled down, corrugated steel sheets drilled over the windows, and a sticker reading ALL VALUABLES REMOVED pasted over the front. Nightfall's progressed to the degree that the street is darkened except for streetlights.

 

RALPH and TED stand outside, looking up at the bar. TED is still extremely pale and wan but has a weak grin on his mug, while RALPH looks right at home.

 

TED: PLACE LOOKS **DEAD**.

 

RALPH: YOU STILL THINK YOU'RE PRETTY FUNNY, DON'T  YOU?

**Panel Two**

RALPH and TED step forward-- and disappear right through the boarded-up frontage of the bar. 

 

**Panel Three**

Half-page establishing shot of the bar room of The Blind Tiger. RALPH and TED have just come through its interior wall. The place is packed to the gunnels, with patrons attired in fashions spanning three centuries. You've got 1920s molls hanging off the arms of  _ Shaft _ -era gangsters; a Yankee general clanking beer bottles with a Redcoat; an  [ Illiniwek Indian ](http://www.illinoisloyalty.com/i/20061111/chief-illiniwek.jpg) playing darts with a Puerto Rican chick in a ra-ra skirt. Recognizable among the patrons are  [ MARTIN JORDAN ](http://www.comicbookmovie.com/images/users/uploads/12499/martin%20jordan.jpg) in a green USAF uniform;  [ THE RED BEE ](http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Richard_Raleigh_%28New_Earth%29) in costume; and, sat at the bar looking noir and heartbreaking, SUE DIBNY.

 

TED: SUE!

 

**PAGE EIGHT**

**Panel One**

RALPH and TED join SUE at the bar; RALPH plants a kiss on SUE's cheek and throws his arms around her neck. SUE isn't even really pretending to be mad. TED thinks they're cute.

 

SUE: YOU'RE LATE. I WAS **THIS CLOSE** TO CALLING A  **MEDIUM**.

 

RALPH: TED'S BEEN MAKING HIS FIRST FORAYS INTO  **PHYSICAL POSSESSION**.

 

**Panel Two**

SUE gives TED a sympathetic look, while RALPH, still with one arm around his wife, extends his other hand on a stretchy arm to wave the BARMAN over. The BARMAN is a solidly-built black man in his late thirties; shaved head, good physique, scar on his left cheek. Looks like he knows his way around.

 

SUE: DID YOU **DEMATERIALIZE**?

AFTER HIS FIRST POSSESSION, RALPH WENT  INVISIBLE FOR A WEEK.

 

RALPH: IT WAS TWENTY MINUTES!

 

**Panel Three**

RALPH faces the BARMAN; TED, still looking kind of woozy, pulls up a barstool next to SUE.

 

TED: IT FELT LIKE THE TIME BOOSTER CONNED ME  INTO DRINKING A COCKTAIL HE INVENTED. 

 

SUE: DID IT DO THE TRICK, THOUGH?

 

TED: **SURE** ; I WAS OUT COLD LONG ENOUGH FOR  BOOSTER TO DRAW A **HANDLEBAR MUSTACHE** ON ME  AND -

 

SUE: \--THE **POSSESSION** , TED.

  
  


**PAGE NINE**

**Panel One**

TED is wearing a big dumb sheepish grin. RALPH hands SUE a glass of wine; the BARMAN is pouring out a couple of measures of whisky, watching our heroes while they talk.

 

TED: OH! RIGHT.

YEAH. RALPH'S A GOOD TEACHER. I MADE THE  CALL.

I JUST DIDN'T REALIZE IT WOULD BE SO  TOUGH.

PLUS IT TOOK AN HOUR TO FIND A PAYPHONE. 

 

**Panel Two**

The BARMAN slides the whisky shots to TED and RALPH.

 

BARMAN: HEY, DON'T KNOCK IT, MAN. I BEEN ... Uh...  **LIVING THIS SIDE OF TOWN** TWENTY YEARS,  NEAR ENOUGH, AND I NEVER POSSESSED NOBODY.

CAN HARDLY  **LEVITATE** .

THESE ARE ON THE  **HOUSE** .

 

**Panel Three**

TED and RALPH take their drinks; TED gives the barman a thumbs-up while turning back to his friends, grinning. SUE arches an eyebrow.

 

TED: THANKS!

WHAT ABOUT THIS GUY, HUH? **BEST GHOST BAR** IN THE COUNTRY.

 

SUE: IS THERE A LOT OF COMPETITION?

 

**Panel Four**

While our heroes talk, the bar is busying up: the BARMAN is eavesdropping fairly obviously on TED and THE DIBNYS's conversation, while in the background a good-looking young black woman has entered the bar. This is SOFIA: more on her in a moment. For now, she can be shown in little detail, away in the background. She's nineteen or so, wearing a halter top and tight jeans, wedge heels, carrying a designer knockoff purse.

 

TED: IF YOU GUYS HAVE FOUND SOMEWHERE BETTER ON  YOUR TRAVELS, I'D LIKE TO HEAR ABOUT  IT.

 

SUE: IF ONLY. WE'VE BEEN BORED TO **TEARS**.

 

TED: YOU'RE GONNA LOVE **HUB,** THEN. NEVER  A DULL MOMENT.

 

RALPH: SO YOUR MESSAGE SAID. STRUGGLING TO KEEP A  LID ON THINGS?

 

**PAGE TEN**

Probably a pretty standard six-panel grid for this page: it's dialog-heavy.

 

**Panel One**

TED rubs his head.

 

TED: HUB USED TO KEEP ME AND **THE QUESTION** RUN  OFF OUR FEET, BACK WHEN IT WAS MY STOMPING  GROUND.

IT'S GOT WORSE. 

 

**Panel Two**

TED jabs a thumb over his shoulder, gesturing at the crowds jamming the room. SOFIA should be recognizable among them, making her way toward the bar. Attracting a few admiring glances.

 

TED: JUST LOOK AT **THIS** PLACE - IT'S BOOMING **.** MORE PEOPLE GET  THEIR TICKETS PUNCHED  EVERY DAY IN HUB THAN IN ANY TOWN THIS  SIDE OF **CARACAS**. 

 

**Panel Three**

RALPH has an eyebrow raised.

 

RALPH: AND YOU DON'T SEE WHY THE BIG DAMN HOLE IN  YOUR OWN TICKET SHOULD STOP YOU DOING  SOMETHING ABOUT IT?

 

**Panel Four**

TED wears a half-regretful half-smile. SUE's leaning forward, looking intrigued.

 

TED: NO MORE THAN THE TWO OF YOU DO.

 

SUE: SO YOU'RE TEAMED UP WITH THE QUESTION  AGAIN? THE NEW ONE?

 

**Panel Five**

TED scratches his head; it's... y'know, it's complicated. RALPH rolls his eyes as he speaks up to cut TED off.

 

TED: WELL... IT'S KIND OF A **SILENT PARTNER** DEAL. TIL YOU TAUGHT ME THAT POSSESSION  HOODOO, I COULDN'T GET NEAR A PHONE  WITHOUT KICKING UP A MESS OF **EVP**. AND I  ALWAYS FELT I'D BE MISCAST AS **BANQUO**.

 

RALPH: TED --

 

**Panel Six**

TED's still smiling, but obviously deadly serious.

 

TED: THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT IS, HUB COULD  USE MORE HEROES. AND THE  ECTOPLASMIC-AMERICAN COMMUNITY HERE'S  THRIVING. 

 

**PAGE ELEVEN**

**Panel One**

SOFIA has now sashayed up to the bar and is standing there, leaning forward to get served, one hand on one hip. The BARMAN stands and stares at her, surprisingly aghast.

 

**Panel Two**

Close up on the BARMAN's horrified, round-eyed face.

 

BARMAN: YOU -- **YOU--?** \-- **NO**.

YOU CAN'T BE HERE.

 

**Panel Three**

SOFIA rolls her eyes; what's this guy's  _ problem _ ?

SOFIA: HELL, I GET THIS EVERY DAMN PLACE I GO. I  DON'T **HAVE** I.D.. I'M NEVER **GONNA** HAVE  I.D.. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO **DO** ABOUT IT  **NOW**?

 

**Panel Four**

The BARMAN's shaking his head, stuck in denial. He is nearly crushing the glass he was polishing between his hands.

 

BARMAN: NO. IT CAN'T BE YOU.

 

SOFIA: I JUST WANT SOMEPLACE TO **BE.** YOU GONNA 

TURN ME OUT ON THE STREETS?

 

**Panel Five**

The BARMAN's face hardens. He puts down the glass.

 

BARMAN: I'M CLOSING. BAR'S **CLOSED**. ALL OF YOU  SUCKERS, DRINK UP AND GET OUT.

 

**PAGE TWELVE**

 

**Panel One**

The panel is two-thirds of the width of the page. The bar is beginning to clear, patrons shrugging on their coats and making for the exit (such as it is). We see the BARMAN standing rooted to the spot behind the counter, still throttling that one beer glass. SOPHIA is strutting away from the bar looking righteous and aggrieved, one hand raised up all "talk to the hand". RALPH is helping SUE into her jacket; TED looks kind of nonplussed.

 

**Panel Two**

 

Taking up the remaining third of the top row of panels: a tight close up on BARMAN's face. His head is lowered and his eyes are closed. It's anguish in his expression, but quiet anguish.

 

**Panel Three**

 

This panel's full pagewidth, zoomed back to show the whole scene out in front of the bar's exterior. It's fully dark outside now. RALPH and SUE are leading the way on ahead up the street, while THE RED BEE, with a small clutch of other patrons, waves goodbye to TED. SUE is gesturing back toward the bar.

 

RED BEE: NIGHT, BEETLE.

 

TED: CATCH YOU LATER, BEE.

 

SUE: WELL, THAT WAS ABRUPT. WHAT'S EATING  THE BARMAN?

 

RALPH: THERE'S THE DOWNSIDE OF YOUR LACK OF  COMPETITION. IT KILLS CUSTOMER SERVICE.

 

From immediately outside the bar, a woman comes running toward RALPH and SUE. It's LATOYA MITTIE. She looks just as she did in the opening two pages, only without the head injury. Running to catch up to the group has left her puffed.

 

LATOYA: WAIT! WAIT UP!

 

**Panel Four**

LATOYA addresses a guarded-looking RALPH; TED cuts in. 

 

LATOYA: YOU WHO I THINK YOU ARE?

 

TED: NO, BUT HE GETS THAT A LOT. THE REAL  **DENNIS LEARY** IS SHORTER.

 

RALPH: **TED**. 

WHO'S ASKING?

**Panel Five**

Close up on LATOYA. She looks pissed. I have a suspicion this'll come off as really Nineties, and I'm OK with that.

 

LATOYA: MY NAME'S **LATOYA MITTY**.

I'M OUT FOR  **JUSTICE** .

 

**PAGE THIRTEEN**

**Panel One**

SUE's interest is piqued; RALPH looks rather more circumspect. TED is grinning.

 

LATOYA: HEARD THAT WAS YOUR BUSINESS.

 

TED: FUNNY HOW YOUR PAST COMES BACK TO **HAUNT** YOU. 

OR, Y'KNOW, VICE VERSA.

 

**Panel Two**

In this panel, when LATOYA uses the word "murder", the other three react with shock or discomfort. In this afterworld, people have a sensitivity about describing death in too matter-of-fact a way. They don't say "dead", they don't say "killed", they don't ever straight-up acknowledge that every one of them died violently or too soon. There's a lot of slang and euphemisms, but hearing a newbie use such an on-the-nose term is a shock to the sensibilities.

 

LATOYA **:** I WAS **MURDERED**. THREE DAYS BACK.  SONOFABITCH SMASHED ME OVER THE HEAD AND-

 

SUE: WAIT, SLOW DOWN. **WHO** DID THIS?

 

LATOYA: MY **BOSS**. MY GODDAMN BOSS. THAT BASTARD - I  **TRUSTED** HIM.

 

**Panel Three**

LATOYA's last comment has stopped TED in his tracks. He's looking suddenly distinctly green.

 

TED: UH, I'M GOING TO... **RECUSE** ON THIS ONE,  GUYS.

I'LL LOOK YOU UP TOMORROW.

 

**Panel Four**

TED's taken off the other way along the street; RALPH and SUE stand with LATOYA.

 

RALPH: LET'S START AT THE TOP, MA'AM--

 

SUE: \--AND MAYBE WITH A MARTINI? COME BACK TO  THE APARTMENT. THESE STREETS AREN'T MY  TOP HAUNT FOR LATE NIGHT SOCIALIZING. 

 

**Panel Five**

LATOYA folds her arms and glares at SUE; RALPH spreads his hands out, trying to placate her.

 

LATOYA: OH YEAH? WELL, THESE STREETS ARE WHERE I  WAS **RAISED** , AND HELL IF I'M GONNA HAUL MY  BEHIND ACROSS TOWN WHILE YOU-

 

RALPH: MS MITTY. PLEASE. IF YOU WANT US TO HELP  YOU, GIVE US A CHANCE TO DO IT OUR WAY.

 

**PAGE FOURTEEN**

**Panel One**

A three-quarters page-width panel showing the apartment building where the Dibnys are staying in Hub. It's a ghost building - the others around it are normal, solid, but the Dibnys' place is translucent, shimmering, towering over a vacant and ill-cleared lot still bearing some signs of fire damage. The skyline and the night sky beyond are visible through its half-solid shape. The building itself is an elegant Victorian residential mid-rise, like  [ this one ](http://www.apartments.com/avsummary.aspx?page=avsummary&property=211084.2&p=aptlinks&prvpg=8&partner=aptlinks&prvpg=8#PhotoFloor) .

 

RALPH opens the front door while SUE stands with LATOYA, who's staring up at the building's half-detectable facade.

 

LATOYA: YOU PEOPLE GOT GHOST BUILDINGS TOO? HOW'S  **THAT** WORK?

 

SUE: THIS PLACE BURNT DOWN TWO YEARS AGO,  ACCORDING TO TED. THERE'S AN ARSON  INVESTIGATION ONGOING.

 

RALPH: THE THEORY HAS IT, EVERYTHING IN OUR WORLD  GOT HERE BY CHECKING OUT OF THE LAST ONE  **VIOLENTLY**.

 

**Panel Two**

A quarter-width panel completing that row, close in on LATOYA's reaction shot. She hugs herself, still looking up wide-eyed at the building, and shivers.

 

**Panel Three**

The interior of the Dibnys' apartment: the door is open, SUE has just come in and is starting to take off her coat; LATOYA stands in the open doorway and RALPH is visible just behind her in the hall. 

 

The apartment's interior is done out in dark wood and green leather. Visible in the foreground is a  [ 1930s banker lamp on a big mahogany pedestal desk ](http://www.a1-furniture.co.uk/Images/Desks/Yew_Desk_With_Bankers_Lamp.jpg) strewn with newspapers.

 

SUE: CAN I FIX YOU A DRINK?

 

LATOYA: I JUST WANT YOU TO FIND THAT MOTHERFUCKER.  MAKE HIM PAY.

 

**Panel Four**

RALPH shrugs off his coat while SUE retrieves drinks bottles and martini glasses from a liquor cabinet.

 

RALPH: EVEN SUPPOSING WE **CAN** FIND HIM: WHAT DO  YOU WANT US TO **DO** WITH HIM? THERE'S NO  POLICE THIS SIDE. NO LAW COURTS. 

 

SUE: MAYBE YOU COULD DEVELOP A SIDELINE IN  **FREELANCE HAUNTING**.

 

**Panel Five**

This panel's page-width again. LATOYA delivers her speech; SUE, pouring a couple of drinks, whispers to RALPH out of the side of her mouth.

 

LATOYA: THE BARMAN AT THE BLIND TIGER - THE GUY  WHO SENT ME AFTER YOU? - HE SAID YOU  PEOPLE KNEW A TRICK. SAID YOU COULD TALK  TO THE OTHER SIDE. THE LIVING. 

 

YOU CAN FIND A WAY TO BRING THAT BASTARD  TO JUSTICE FOR WHAT HE DID TO ME.

 

SUE: THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE LET TED SHOW  OFF IN PUBLIC.

 

**PAGE FIFTEEN**

 

**Panel One**

LATOYA marches over to stand in front of RALPH and SUE, getting into their faces. 

 

LATOYA: LISTEN - THIS GUY IS POWERFUL. HE DID IT  TO ME, HE'LL DO IT TO SOMEONE ELSE.

 

MY BOSS WAS  **MIKE CARBONE** . 

 

**Panel Two**

LATOYA takes SUE's drink and helps herself to a sip of it.

 

SUE: THE POLITICIAN?

 

LATOYA: HE'S RUNNING FOR **MAYOR**. MIGHT EVEN WIN. BE  ABOUT RIGHT FOR  HUB, HUH?

 

**Panel Three**

RALPH taps his chin, chewing this over.

 

RALPH: WHAT DID CARBONE HAVE AGAINST YOU?

 

**Panel Four**

LATOYA strolls over to the apartment window; the blinds are down, and she parts two of the slats with her middle and forefinger, still holding SUE's martini glass in the other hand. RALPH stays over on the other side of the room with an obviously amused SUE, not completely taken in by this noir bit.

 

LATOYA: IT'S WHAT **I** HAD ON **HIM**. I **KNEW** TOO  MUCH.

RALPH: YOU'VE GOT OUR ATTENTION, ALREADY. 

 

**Panel Five**

Close in on LATOYA, still at the window but turned back to face RALPH and SUE. Slatted shadows from the window fall across her face. She likes her big dramatic moments.

 

LATOYA: I KNEW ABOUT **OSTRAKER.**

 

**PAGE SIXTEEN**

**Panel One**

LATOYA folds her arms and looks satisfied.

 

RALPH: **OSTRAKER**? WHAT'S THAT?

 

LATOYA: LOOK INTO IT. YOU'LL SEE.

 

**Panel Two**

SUE walks over to join LATOYA, who stands with hands on hips.

 

SUE: IF YOU CAN TELL US A LITTLE **MORE** , WE  COULD --

 

LATOYA: YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME?

 

**Panel Three**

RALPH holds up his glass, gesturing with it. LATOYA is getting madder.

 

RALPH: THERE'S NOTHING TO BELIEVE OR DOUBT SO  FAR. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

 

LATOYA: SO FIGURE IT OUT! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE  THE DICK, RIGHT?

 

**Panel Four**

LATOYA is spitting mad, right up in SUE's face. Just at the edges, her face is starting to fade out of view as she gets so furious she loses the ability to hold her spectral self together.

 

SUE: LATOYA, WE JUST NEED A LITTLE MORE DETAIL  -

 

LATOYA: **DETAIL**? THE MOTHERFUCKER **SMASHED IN MY** **SKULL**. YOU WANT HIS SOCIAL SECURITY? YOU  WANT HIS HOROSCOPE? 

WHY DOES NO ONE **CARE** ABOUT THIS ENOUGH  TO WANT TO **HELP** ME?

 

**PAGE SEVENTEEN**

**Panel One**

LATOYA stops suddenly and looks down at herself in horror: she's gone completely translucent, and parts of her body have vanished altogether.

 

LATOYA: NNNGH! WHAT'S HAPPENING? - I -

  
  


**Panel Two**

The space where LATOYA was standing is empty: she's completely faded out of view.

 

SUE: LATOYA? 

 

RALPH: SHE LOST CONTROL.

  
  


**Panel Three**

SUE collapses onto the sofa, looking up over her shoulder at RALPH who stands behind it.

 

SUE: YOU REMEMBER HOW HARD IT WAS TO STAY IN  ONE PIECE, THOSE FIRST FEW WEEKS? 

AND SHE WAS RIGHT. WE  **WEREN'T** HELPING HER.

 

RALPH: SHE'LL GET IT BACK TOGETHER.

 

SUE: I HOPE SO. HOW'D YOU LIKE HER STORY?

 

**Panel Four**

RALPH turns to the bookcase, pulling out a heavy hardback reference book. 

 

RALPH: IT MADE UP IN DRAMA WHAT IT LACKED IN  DETAIL.

 

SUE: CASE OF THE **DECADE,** IF THERE'S ANYTHING IN  IT.

 

RALPH: IT'S **CHEATING** , YOU KNOW. HAVING THE VICTIM  NAME THE PERP UPFRONT.

 

**Panel Five**

RALPH, holding the book, turns back to SUE and leans down to kiss her; she reaches up, smiling, to loop her arms around his neck.

 

SUE: AND YET YOU'RE GOING FOR IT.

 

RALPH: OH, YOU THINK SO, DO YOU?

 

SUE: HONEY... YOUR **NOSE** IS TWITCHING.

 

**PAGE EIGHTEEN**

**Panel One**

A pagewidth, half-page-height panel showing the exterior of the building in which Mike Carbone's campaign HQ is based. It's not what you'd call desirable real estate. The building's a squat three-storey cinderblock unit, the ground floor occupied by a down-at-heel grocery store flagged ARGO'S 24-HOUR MART. Though it's now very dark outside, light spilling from the upper floor windows reveals that business is ongoing at Carbone's election campaign base of operations.

 

SUE stands in front of the building, looking up at those lights from the upper storey windows. Throughout this scene (all the remaining pages in the issue) she should be drawn translucent, to indicate both that she's out in the real, solid world, and that though we can see her the other characters can't. Her speech balloons are see-through too.

 

CAPTION: MICHAEL B. CARBONE ELECTION CAMPAIGN  HEADQUARTERS, HUB CITY

 

**Panel Two**

We've followed SUE into the building and see her now in a hallway on the second floor. It's lined with bookcases groaning under the weight of R-Kive boxes from which mailshots and voter lists are spilling out. On the walls are maps of Hub City showing constituency districts, and print-out charts tracking opinion polls and voter intention stats.

 

At the end of the corridor is a closed door on which a Carbone campaign poster is tacked. The dialogue emerges from behind this door.

 

ELIANA: YO, PIETRO. GOT THAT PERMIT LETTER FOR THE PUBLIC MEETING ON DEFREVILLE? 

 

PIETRO: I GOT A MIGRAINE, IS WHAT I GOT.

 

**Panel Three**

SUE approaches the door from behind which the voices had come, but before she passes through it she's brought up short and turns her head to look at another door in the corridor. This one has a glass panel through which light spills out into the gloomy corridor.

 

**Panel Four**

We now see SUE staring through this glass panel. She has a view of a fairly cramped office, similarly overflowing with campaign paraphernalia, in which MIKE CARBONE is standing staring at the far wall. He has his back to the door, so we see him only as a tallish white man in suit pants and a pressed shirt, his hands clasped behind his back. He has short dark hair in a neat cut and is of average build. 

 

**PAGE NINETEEN**

 

**Panel One**

With SUE, we step through into CARBONE's office, moving in closer to see what he's looking at on the wall. It's a framed group photograph which we'll see in detail in the next panel. 

 

**Panel Two**

Close-up on the framed photo print itself. It shows Carbone's entire staff posing in a group at an election campaign launch fundraiser. In the background people in campaign rosettes are socializing, clutching champagne flutes. Over the heads of the group a banner announces CARBONE: WINNING IN HUB IN 2010. 

 

The group underneath the banner comprises (left to right): LATOYA MITTY, looking a little uncomfortable in a too-short cocktail dress; ELIANA VALDEZ (Carbone's campaign manager, whom we'll meet in the next scene - she's a Puerto Rican woman in her thirties with long hair fiercely pulled back, dressed in an elegant designer blouse and tailored black trousers), PIETRO DI MATTEO (Carbone's head of security - again, we'll meet him shortly; he's a white guy with a shaved head, built like a middle-weight boxer. His suit is not your finest Italian threadwork and is struggling a little to contain him), MICHAEL CARBONE himself, who has faintly Kennedy looks and a the-camera-loves-me grin, and the volunteer coordinator DAVID GREEN, a scrawny beanpole of a kid who appears to have been transplanted from a high school debating team.

 

**Panel Three**

Zoom in on LATOYA MITTY's face in the framed picture, seen from CARBONE's perspective. A knock falls on the door.

 

FX: KNOCK KNOCK

 

**Panel Four**

Pull back to show SUE, standing just behind CARBONE but looking back over her shoulder at the door; CARBONE meanwhile keeps staring at the photograph.

 

CARBONE: MMHMM.

 

**Panel Five**

Showing the doorway: the door has opened to reveal ELIANA VALDEZ, from the photograph. She's in a t-shirt and skirt now, looking weary. CARBONE's speech balloon appears from off panel so we don't have to show him too.

 

ELIANA: HEY BOSS.

 

CARBONE: DID THEY CALL?

 

**PAGE TWENTY**

 

**Panel One**

ELIANA folds her arms in front of her chest; CARBONE uses a hand to rake his hair up off his forehead. They both look like it's been a damn long day.

 

ELIANA: WAS GONNA ASK IF YOU WANTED A COFFEE, BUT  I'M JUST GONNA **MANDATE** ONE NOW.

 

CARBONE: SO THEY DIDN'T CALL.

DAMN IT, I'VE LEFT THREE MESSAGES. I SAW  LATOYA TWO HOURS BEFORE SHE DIED, AND THEY  HAVEN'T EVEN INTERVIEWED ME.

 

ELIANA: BOSS... YOU GOTTA CHILL ON THIS.

 

**Panel Two**

CARBONE sits down on his desk and looks miserably at the phone. ELIANA is unimpressed with him.

 

CARBONE: SAYS THE WOMAN DOSING ME WITH ARABICA.

 

ELIANA: I AM ONE HUNDRED PERCENT SURE, IF **HUB CITY** **PD** WANNA RAKE YOUR ASS OVER THE COALS,  THEY WILL **CALL**.

EVEN SURER NO ONE AT THE PRECINCT GIVES A  FUCK ABOUT ANYTHING ISN'T ACTIVELY ON FIRE  PAST MIDNIGHT ON A FRIDAY.

 

**Panel Three**

CARBONE takes a look at his wristwatch.

 

CARBONE: SHIT. YOU SHOULD LEAVE, ELIANA. GET HOME  TO MARCO.

 

ELIANA: **YOU** GOING TO?

 

**Panel Four**

CARBONE grins. ELIANA has re-folded her arms.

 

CARBONE: I DON'T THINK MARCO'D APPRECIATE IT.

 

ELIANA: YOU SO FUNNY.

LISTEN, **GO**. STOP **WORRYING,** MIKEY. WE'RE  ALL ON YOUR **TEAM** HERE. WE WON'T SAY  A WORD. JUST LIKE I NEVER SAID NOTHING  ABOUT THE **OSTRAKER** THING.

 

**Panel Five**

ELIANA turns and leaves the room; CARBONE starts after her, but she doesn't turn to look back at him to deliver her line.

 

CARBONE: WON'T **SAY** ANYTHING? WHAT DOES **THAT** MEAN?

 

ELIANA: JUST... SLEEP **WELL** , OK, BOSS?

 

**PAGE TWENTY ONE**

 

**Panel One**

SUE stands in the doorway, watching ELIANA let herself back into the next office. Through the door of this second office we also glimpse PIETRO, sitting at a desk and looking up at ELIANA as she enters the room.

 

SUE: WHAT **DOES** THAT MEAN?

 

**Panel Two**

We're in the second office now, with SUE. ELIANA takes a long red coat down off the coatrack in the office. PIETRO is sitting in front of a TV set, but looks away from it and up at ELIANA.

 

ELIANA: THAT MAN'S GONNA TALK HIMSELF INTO A WORLD  OF TROUBLE.

 

PIETRO: WON'T LEAVE OFF WITH THE **COPS**?

 

**Panel Three**

ELIANA shrugs her coat on.

ELIANA: HE'S NOT DUMB, RIGHT? HE'S GOTTA **KNOW** NO  ONE WILL COME AFTER HIM. NOT WHILE HALF  THE PRECINCT'S IN HIS DADDY'S POCKET. 

 

**Panel Four**

PIETRO slides his chair back, putting his feet up on the desk, while ELIANA buckles the belt on her jacket.

 

PIETRO: SO WHY'S THE DUMB FUCK KEEP HASSLING THEM?  I MEAN, I'M SORRY LATOYA'S GONE AND ALL,  BUT WE GOT WORK'S GOT TO GET DONE.

 

ELENA: TELL ME ABOUT IT. WHAT IS THAT,  OVERCOMPENSATION? GUILT?

 

**Panel Five**

These next three panels are narrow slices, tight in on PIETRO's and ELIANA's faces.

 

PIETRO: YOU THINK HE DID IT?

 

**Panel Six**

A reaction shot of ELENA, one eyebrow raised.

 

**Panel Seven**

PIETRO: Heh heh heh.

  
  


**PAGE TWENTY TWO**

 

**Panel One**

Back in the next room, CARBONE stares at the door where ELIANA had been standing. He has both hands on his head and dark circles under his eyes.

 

CARBONE: Hhhh.

 

**Panel Two**

Frowning, SUE steps back through the wall that divides the two offices. CARBONE has turned back to look once again at the photograph on the wall. 

 

SUE: COME ON, CARBONE. TELL ME YOUR SECRET.

 

**Panel Three (inset)**

Tight closeup on CARBONE's face. He's lost his concentration on the photograph, and is frowning and looking over to his left - toward where SUE is invisibly standing.

 

**Panel Four**

Identical to Panel Two, except that CARBONE is now looking straight at SUE instead of at the painting. SUE looks back at him in shock: surely he can't see her?

 

**Panel Five**

Close up on CARBONE's face. He's looking straight at us out of the panel, his eyes full of hope. 

 

CARBONE: ...LATOYA?

 

CAPTION: NEXT ISSUE: "Dead Ball"

  
  



	2. Undetected #2: Dead Beat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> PREVIOUSLY in UNDETECTED: Ralph and Sue Dibny, ghost detectives, are investigating the mysterious death of Latoya Mitty, killed by a blow to the back of her skull. Their first port of call is Mike Carbone, Latoya's former boss ... and a candidate in the mayoral election for vice-pit Hub City.

UNDETECTED #2  
"Dead ball"

No copyright infringement intended

***  
PREVIOUSLY in UNDETECTED: Ralph and Sue Dibny, ghost detectives, are investigating the mysterious death of Latoya Mitty, killed by a blow to the back of her skull. Their first port of call is Mike Carbone, Latoya's former boss ... and a candidate in the mayoral election for vice-pit Hub City.

PAGE ONE  
Panel One  
Exterior shot of the Blind Tiger bar (see script for issue #1, page seven), after dark. The speech balloon tails to the building; the speaker is somewhere inside. 

CAPTION: THE BLIND TIGER BAR, HUB CITY

TED: HEY, HEY, YOU'RE GETTING THIS ALL BACK TO FRONT.  
NOW YOU'RE ON TEAM TRANSLUCENT, WHEN YOU WALK INTO A ROOM, THE MERCURY'S MEANT TO DROP A FEW DEGREES.  
Panel Two  
And now an interior shot of the bar. The place is almost as rammed as when we saw it last. Behind the bar the BARMAN is fitting a bottle into a dispenser with an optic, tapping the glass to make the red liquor inside swirl. In front of the bar, at a table in the center of the panel, TED KORD is sitting eating peanuts and looking mildly panicked. Beside the table, with her back to the bar, stands SOPHIA. She's decked out in a fairly token disguise: oversized Jackie O sunglasses; hair covered up in a print silk wrapper. Otherwise her outfit's the same as in her last appearance. She's in femme fatale seductress mode, one hand on a jutting hip, leaning forward towards TED, rehearsing a little "this is my Facebook profile picture" pout.

SOPHIA: YOU REALLY KNOW YOUR STUFF. HOW'S ABOUT YOU TEACH ME ALL ABOUT IT... OVER A DRINK?

Panel Three  
TED covers up his panic with a grin:

TED: THANKS! MINE'S A SAM ADAMS.

Panel Four  
SOPHIA's pout changes to one of irritation and a frown develops on her brow. Ted looks like he rues the day he decided to come over all mature.

SOPHIA: WAS THINKING YOU COULD DO THE BUYING.

TED: WHICH WOULD GET AROUND YOUR LACK OF ID, RIGHT?  
SORRY, KID. I NEVER WAS THAT PARTICULAR BRAND OF SLEAZEBALL.

Panel Five  
The panel's framed so that SOPHIA stands on the far left, hands on both her hips now, scowling across at TED, who sits on the far right. He's looking away from the reader, toward RALPH and SUE DIBNY, who - in the center of the panel - approach the table from the bar, carrying drinks. 

SOPHIA: NOT WHAT I HEARD.

SUE: I'M TELLING YOU, RALPH. THIS CARBONE GUY LOOKED RIGHT AT ME.

TED (addressing Ralph and Sue): HAVE YOU TWO BEEN BAD-MOUTHING ME TO UNDERAGE STRANGERS?

PAGE TWO

RALPH and SUE clock SOPHIA's presence and look her up and down: She tries to come over inconspicuous, raising her eyebrows and holding up a hand to the side of her face, shielding herself from the line of sight of the bar. SUE folds her arms.

RALPH: HEY, YOU'RE THE GIRL WHO GOT THE JOINT SHUT DOWN LAST NIGHT. WHAT'S WITH THE DISGUISE?

SUE: STILL TRYING TO GET SERVED? TED KORD, YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF. ONE WINK FROM A PRETTY GIRL AND YOU'RE ENABLING UNDERAGE DRINKING.

Panel  
TED, unimpeachable soul that he's always been, is shocked at this insinuation. Shocked and hurt. To Ralph's considerable amusement.

TED: SHE JUST MOOCHED UP AND HELPED HERSELF TO MY PEANUTS!

RALPH: THAT WHAT THE KIDS ARE CALLING IT THESE DAYS?

Panel  
SOPHIA, one speculative eyebrow hitched, adjusts her sights and fixes them on RALPH. (Even if he is only a four.) RALPH preens a little bit; SUE scowls and throws a protective arm around his waist.

SOPHIA: YOU'RE FUNNY. I LIKE A FUNNY GUY.

TED: DON'T WORRY, SUE. SOPHIA ONLY WANTS RALPH FOR HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE.  
HOW'S THE CASE?  
Panel  
SUE continues to shoot daggers over her shoulder at SOPHIA, but talks to TED.

SUE: GETTING CURIOUSER. I SWUNG BY OUR SUSPECT'S OFFICE: HE KNEW SOMEONE WAS THERE, AND HE THOUGHT IT WAS LATOYA. THE WOMAN WHO TELLS US HE MURDERED HER.

RALPH: SO HIS CONSCIENCE IS EATING HIM. 

PAGE THREE  
Panel One  
SUE looks thoughtful, helping herself to one of the peanuts too, while TED looks scandalized and deprived. SOPHIA, the picture of nonchalance, creeps her hand toward RALPH's drink.

SUE: IT'S NOT THAT. THE LOOK ON CARBONE'S FACE, WHEN HE THOUGHT HE WAS TALKING TO HER: IT WAS ... HOPEFUL. LIKE HE MISSED HER.

RALPH: IT'S OUT OF LEFT FIELD FOR PERP BEHAVIOR, I'LL GIVE YOU THAT. 

Panel Two  
SUE spreads her hands, shrugging, while SOPHIA surreptitiously slides RALPH's glass toward herself. 

SUE: I GOT NOWHERE FAST WITH THE OSTRAKER ANGLE EITHER. THINK I'LL HIT THE INTERNET NEXT, SEE WHAT I CAN SCARE UP.

SOPHIA: HOW'RE YOU GONNA GOOGLE THINGS? SINCE I WOUND UP THIS SIDE, I CAN'T EVEN TOUCH A KEYBOARD.  
OH, HEY, YOU GONNA POSSESS SOMEBODY?

Panel Three  
RALPH smartly retrieves his drink and removes it from SOPHIA's reach.

RALPH: POSSESSION'S NOT A FREE RIDE. IT WEARS YOU OUT. IF YOU DON'T KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN, YOU CAN LOSE YOURSELF COMPLETELY.

TED: THE PEOPLE WE DID IT TO DIDN'T SEEM LIKE BIG FANS EITHER.

Panel Four  
SOPHIA, undeterred in her drink-pilfering efforts, simply co-opts TED's beer instead.

SOPHIA: IT HURTS THEM?

RALPH: LIKE A HANGOVER, MAYBE: SORE HEAD AND NO MEMORY. 

SUE: BESIDES, USING STRANGERS AS MEAT PUPPETS ISN'T THE PINNACLE OF HEROIC BEHAVIOR...

PAGE FOUR  
Panel One  
RALPH leans in to Sue, all "proud of my awesome crimefighting wife", and gives her a kiss on the cheek. TED is confused about where his beer has gone.

SUE: ...UNLIKE MY METHOD. 

RALPH: AS LONG AS, BY "HEROIC", YOU MEAN "FUNNY". 

SUE: AND EXPERTLY EXECUTED. 

Panel Two  
RALPH finishes up his own drink while TED clocks the fact that SOPHIA's taken his.

RALPH: I THINK I'LL SWING BY THE PRECINCT, SEE IF I CAN DO BETTER THAN CARBONE AT GETTING THEIR ATTENTION.   
BEETLE, WANNA COME BE BUDDY COPS? 

Panel Three  
TED wrinkles up his nose, and leans over to wave at the BARMAN in the background of the panel. The BARMAN, a dishcloth thrown over his shoulder, is holding up a shot glass full of stuff dispensed from the bottle he was installing earlier. He squints up at the light that filters through the liquor.

TED: I HAVE PLANS, IN THEORY - BARKEEP, HAVE YOU SEEN THE BEE?

BARMAN: NOT TONIGHT.

Panel Four  
This panel's framed to place the BARMAN himself in focus; he's eavesdropping on the plan TED elaborates to an amused-looking RALPH. SOPHIA is still holding up her hand to shield her face and desperately trying to avoid his attention. TED takes the opportunity to steal his drink back from her.

TED: THE RED BEE SAID HE'D MEET ME HERE TO HELP OUT WITH MY CASE. BETWEEN US, I THINK WE'VE GOT THE MOJO TO APPEAR TO THE GUY I'M TRYING TO TAKE DOWN. 

RALPH: THAT SHOULD CHILL HIM TO THE CORE. 

Panel Five  
And now we're back focused on TED, who is grinning, beer bottle in hand. 

TED: LAUGH IT UP. BUT THE BACKDRAFT WHEN HE TELLS HIS GANGSTER PALS THAT TWO DEAD MEN IN INSECT DRAG ARE HAUNTING HIS PENTHOUSE? WE'RE GOING TO TAKE POPCORN. 

Panel Six  
RALPH and SUE have got up to leave; SOPHIA opportunistically scoots into SUE's seat and drapes an arm over the shoulders of a dismayed TED. 

SUE: HEH. WELL, DON'T STRAIN ANYTHING. WE'LL SEE YOU LATER.

SOPHIA: I'LL KEEP YOU COMPANY. SO LONG'S YOU'RE BUYING...

PAGE FIVE  
Panel One  
Establishing shot of the Hub City Police Department homicide headquarters. A speech balloon emerges from an upper floor.

CAPTION (RALPH): I'M NOT TODAY'S ONLY VISITOR TO THE HUB CITY P.D. HOMICIDE DIVISION.

BALLOON #1: AW MAN, GET ALL THIS CRAP OFFA THE WALLS!  
PLACE LOOKS LIKE A TITTY BAR MORE'N A COP SHOP.

Panel Two  
Interior shot of the police station. RALPH - translucent, since we're in the living world - stands with his back to the panel, observing. A couple of delivery men in baseball caps and logoed jackets are carrying into the room a large blank chalkboard. They're under the supervision of a fat woman in a bad suit: the CHIEF. She's stood in the doorway, a stack of papers held under one arm, pointing with the other to show the delivery guys where to go. She indicates a patch of wall decorated with soft porn pinups and fantasy baseball league rosters. Most of the rest of the walls are covered with whiteboards (like this) already. The boards are divided into columns: each is headed with the name of a cop on the squad, and under them are written the names of murder cases: red for open, black for closed. The existing boards are inked almost entirely red and each column is already full. 

Though she's pointing at the wall, the CHIEF's glare falls on a couple of cops - PROZNIAK and LENTO - who are sitting at neighboring desks, sort of shrinking under her gaze. LENTO is straightening his tie. PROZNIAK looks a bit less cowed.

PROZNIAK: CHIEF! WHAT BRINGS YOU DOWN TO OUR HUMBLE SHOP?

Panel Three  
PROZNIAK leans over to whisper behind his hand to LENTO, a smirk on his face.

PROZNIAK: DOOLEY'S BAR CLOSED FOR RESTOCKING?

Panel Four  
CHIEF scowls at PROZNIAK and LENTO. Behind her, the delivery guys are pulling down the posters from the wall.

CHIEF: SAY AGAIN?

Panel Five  
PROZNIAK looks over at LENTO, a picture of innocence.

PROZNIAK: EH, YOU SAY SOMETHING, LENTO?

PAGE SIX  
Panel One  
CHIEF points at the delivery guys, who are attaching the new chalkboard to the spare wall space.

CHIEF: I'M HERE COS YOUS HIGH-FLYING PROS GOT NO MORE BOARD SPACE AND A DOZEN MORE MURDERS THIS MONTH. THIS DISTRICT? MORE UNSOLVED HOMICIDES PER SQUARE MILE THAN ANYWHERE ON U.S. SOIL. 

Panel Two  
CHIEF dumps the pile of papers on PROZNIAK's desk, pointing up at the new board.

CHIEF: NOW GET OFF YA FAT BEHINDS, COPY YA NAMES UP THERE, AND PICK OUT SOME POLICE WORK YA THINK YA CAN HANDLE.

Panel Three  
While the CHIEF storms out of the office, slamming the door, RALPH approaches the existing boards and scans the names. There's plenty of them, but LATOYA's is missing.

CAPTION (RALPH): MITTY'S NAME'S NOT EVEN UP HERE.

Panel Four  
LENTO comes to stand beside RALPH, squinting up at the cramped original board. PROZNIAK remains at his desk.

LENTO: HEY, PROZNIAK? HOW'S ABOUT WE JUST... RUB SUMMA THESE OUT?

PROZNIAK: YOU START RUBBING PEOPLE OUT, WE'RE EVEN DEEPER IN THE SHIT THAN EVER.

LENTO: HUH?

PAGE SEVEN  
Panel One  
PROZNIAK hands over the stack of papers and a box of red pens to the fuddled-looking LENTO. RALPH mutters to himself, not looking optimistic.

CAPTION (RALPH): FIFTY TO ONE AGAINST HIS PICKING OUT MY CASE...

PROZNIAK: DON'T GET YOUR PANTIES IN A BUNCH, KID. JUST WRITE UP WHATEVER NAMES YA THINK YA CAN SPELL.

 

Panel Two  
LENTO promptly drops the papers, which spill all over the floor. The long-suffering PROZNIAK casts his gaze up toward the heavens; RALPH facepalms.

LENTO: OOPS.

Panel Three  
LENTO, cheeks burning, kneels down to start scooping up the files; PROZNIAK bends down to help him. RALPH stands over them, staring. 

PROZNIAK: THIS'S GONNA BE WUNNA THEM LONG DAYS.

Panel Four  
A close-up on RALPH's feet shows the file labelled MITTY lying near his toe, sticking out from under another. 

Panel Five  
Another tight closeup: RALPH's foot's on top of the uppermost, concealing file, which he nudges slightly out of the way. PROZNIAK's voice balloon appears from off panel.

PROZNIAK: HERE, LEMME HELP YA. WADDA WE GOT HERE... "KRZYWOSZEWSKI"? "MUHANDIRAMLA"?

Panel Six  
And another closeup: PROZNIAK's hand reaching down to pick up the Mitty file from beside RALPH's foot.

PROZNIAK: AH! HERE YA GO. "MITTY". SEE HOW THAT GRABS YA.  
Panel Seven  
RALPH grins to himself as the two cops start to make for the door.,

RALPH (CAPTION): MAYBE I SHOULD'VE BEEN A GAMBLING MAN.

PAGE EIGHT  
Panel One  
New scene. We're in a teenager's bedroom: black walls, band posters, games console off in one corner. The panel's dominated by a group of kids, aged seventeen or so, sharing a joint, huddled around a ouija board. They each have a finger touching the pointer, but their interest varies. BONITA, at the centre of the group, is peering intently at the pointer through her short spiky bangs and a slick of eyeliner. AARON is lying flat on his stomach on the floor, stanky-looking white-boy dreadlocks trailing into his eyes, reaching up onto the coffee table to put his finger on the pointer. With his free hand he's futzing about with a laptop. CARL, shaven-headed, has a joint in his free hand, and is contemplating it. 

CAPTION: VASSELL HEIGHTS, HUB CITY.

BONITA: SHIT, MAN! IT'S MOVING!

CARL: WOAH.

Panel Two  
Close in on the ouija board itself, the marker moving toward the letter "R", the kids' fingers all pressing down on it. The kids' speech balloons emerge from the top of the panel; their faces needn't be visible.

AARON: YOU'RE PUSHING IT.

CARL: AM NOT!

BONITA: Shhh. O - S - T -

Panel Three  
CARL and BONITA stare at the board, wide-eyed; AARON keeps his eyes on his laptop.

CARL: "OSTRAKER"?   
WOAH, THAT'S...

AARON: ...NOT ... SCARY?

Panel Four  
BONITA juts her lower lip, frowning, and takes the joint from CARL. He looks at her, confused.

CARL: DIDN'T WE ASK IT HOW IT DIED?

AARON: SERIOUSLY, IS THAT EVEN A WORD?

Panel Five  
BONITA chews on her lower lip, head tilted to one side. AARON redirects his attention to his laptop screen, but CARL points excitedly at the board. They all still have their fingers on the pointer.

BONITA: MAYBE "OSTRAKER" IS ... LIKE ... AN EVIL MURDERING DEMON?

AARON: MAYBE THE SPIRIT CAN'T SPELL. 

CARL: DUDE -- IT'S MOVING AGAIN!

PAGE NINE  
Panel One  
AARON, intensely sceptical, nonetheless takes his eyes off the screen to watch and spell this one out himself.

AARON: G - E - T - Y - O - U - R - H - A - I - R - C - U - T ...?

Panel Two  
Just a reaction shot of AARON, dreads hanging over his face, wide-eyed and speechless. 

Panel Three  
AARON looks wounded; CARL and BONITA fall about.  
CARL AND BONITA: BWAHAHAHAHA!

Panel Four  
BONITA, still giggling, commandeers AARON's laptop and hauls it up onto her knees. CARL and AARON still have their fingers on the ouija board pointer.

BONITA: GIMME THAT.

CARL: AW, YOU BROKE THE CIRCLE! 

AARON: WHAT DO YOU WANT THAT FOR? 

Panel Five  
BONITA's intent face, with her round, huge-pupilled eyes, is illuminated by the light from the laptop screen. Over her shoulder, spectral and see-through, we can now also see an amused-looking SUE DIBNY. She's staring at the screen as well.

SUE (CAPTION): WORKED LIKE A CHARM.

BONITA: LOOKING UP OSTRAKER, duh. NOW, LEMME SEE...   
Huh.

PAGE TEN  
Panel One  
SUE facepalms while BONITA reads aloud from the screen.

BONITA: "OSTRAKER MAY REFER TO: OSTRAKER ENTERPRISES, A PACKAGING DISTRIBUTOR HEADQUARTERED IN CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA"?   
...CREEEEPY? 

AARON: NOT AS CREEPY AS YOUR FACE.

SUE (CAPTION): TOO MUCH TO HOPE THAT MR WANNABE-MAYOR'S DIRTY LAUNDRY WOULD HAVE MADE IT INTO WIKIPEDIA...

Panel Two  
BONITA carries on reading, while CARL futzes with the ouija board and AARON takes a long drag on the spliff, petting selfconsciously at his dreadlocks.

BONITA: "PEOPLE: DORA OSTRAKER, NINETEENTH CENTURY DUTCH POET. LENNARD "LEN" OSTRAKER (BORN 1947), RETIRED PITCHER FOR THE SPOKE CITY DYNAMOS."

AARON: THE DYNAMOS? GROSS.

Panel Three  
SUE rolls her eyes while the kids squabble, still trying to read the screen.

BONITA: AW, YOU'LL MAKE CARL CRY. HE'S A BIG DYNAMOS FAN.

CARL: AM NOT! SO I WAS BORN FIFTY YARDS ACROSS THE COUNTY BORDER; THAT DON'T MAKE ME A SPOKEY!

Panel Four  
SUE is central in this panel, peering over BONITA's shoulder, frowning at the laptop screen. None of this is adding up. The rest of the panel's occupied by the kids futzing about, losing interest in their ouija board sesh. BONITA gets up to flick on the radio, while CARL sulks.

SUE (CAPTION): OUR SUSPECT'S DIRTY SECRET'S THAT HE'S A NINETEENTH CENTURY DUTCH POET? 

AARON: YO, REMINDS ME: FLICK ON K-HUB. THEY SHOULD BE BROADCASTING THE GAME RIGHT NOW. 

BONITA: ALLOYS AT HOME TO DA SOX, RIGHT? WHO'RE THE DYNAMO PLAYING, CARLO? 

Panel Five  
CARL is sulking.

CARL: DON'T KNOW, COS I'M NOT A DYNAMOS FAN. AND PUT THAT OFF, YOU'LL TOTAL THE AMBIENCE! SPIRITS DON'T WANT TO LISTEN TO NO SPORTS SATURDAY!

PAGE ELEVEN  
Panel One  
The radio comes on, while CARL scrambles to his feet to go flick it off again. 

FX (switching on radio): KLIK

RADIO (ELEC): --ICY SNAP HAS ENDED JUST IN TIME FOR THE SEASON OPENER, WE'RE HERE AT ORBIT PARK--

AARON: DID CARL JUST SAY "AMBIENCE"? CARL KNOWS THE WORD "AMBIENCE"?

Panel Two  
Close up on the radio itself, which is broadcasting: 

RADIO (ELEC): -WITH HUB'S MAYORAL CANDIDATE, WHOM POLLS PUT IN A BATTLING SECOND, IT'S MICHAEL CARBONE. COUNCILMAN CARBONE, ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THE GAME?--

Panel Three  
CARL is standing by the radio, rolling his eyes, reaching for the "off" switch.

CARL: COULD YOU GET ANY LESS SPOOKY?

SUE (CAPTION): OKAY, THAT'S SPOOKY.

Panel Four  
CARL reaches for the off switch; SUE looks rueful and reaches for it at the same time.   
RADIO (ELEC): --YEAH, BEEN COMING HERE SINCE I WAS KNEE HIGH--

SUE (CAPTION): SORRY, KID- I NEED TO HEAR THIS.

Panel Five  
As CARL touches the switch an electrical current erupts from the radio and zaps his hand, making him jump back.

FX: ZAP!

Panel Six  
CARL looks up in shock. BONITA has one eyebrow raised.

RADIO (ELEC): --AS MUCH LUCK IN YOUR CAMPAIGN AS YOUR TEAM'RE GONNA NEED TODAY!--

BONITA: GUESS THE SPIRIT DOES LIKE SPORTS SATURDAY. 

PAGE TWELVE  
Panel One  
New scene. We're outside Latoya Mitty's apartment building - the same one that appeared in the opening scene of issue #1, though we're at the front - viewing it from the street - now. It's clearer than ever that this is the sort of nabe where the cops don't venture, except on sufferance. PROZNIAK and LENTO have their squad car parked up in front of the building and are sitting inside; the speech balloons emerge from either side of the vehicle.

CAPTION: BELLEVILLE SECTION, HUB CITY

PROZNIAK: YA KNOW, LENTO, I BEEN READING THESE FILE NOTES HERE? I AIN'T SO SURE THIS IS A TREE WE SHOULDA SHAKEN. YOU KNOW WHO THE STIFF WORKED FOR?

Panel Two  
This panel brings us down into the car with the cops. RALPH DIBNY, translucent, is sitting in back, watching them.  
LENTO, in the driver's seat, looks down at his own file, running a finger under the sentences to keep his place and mouthing the words as he goes. PROZNIAK, next to him, looks spooked.

LENTO: CARBONE? HE THE SHORTSTOP FOR THE PIRATES?

PROZNIAK: THE COUNCILLOR, YOU DUMBFUCK. AND YOU KNOW WHO HIS DADDY IS? YOU KNOW WHO JOEY CARBONE IS?   
JOEY CARBONE IS SOMEONE WHOSE BOYS WE DO NOT WANT ON OUR BUTTS.

Panel Three  
They don't call him LENTO for nothing: those cog wheels are still grinding behind his eyes. PROZNIAK opens the car door: he clicks his tongue against his teeth, making a pistol out of the thumb and forefinger of his right hand, cocking it at LENTO.

LENTO: SO... WHAT'S THAT MEAN FOR US?

PROZNIAK: MEANS WE GO DO OUR JOBS THE WAY WE WAS TAUGHT, IS WHAT IT MEANS. YOU FOLLOW?

LENTO: I ... FOLLOW?

Panel Four  
LENTO and RALPH climb out of the car too: we're stood with them, watching PROZNIAK stalk off around the building's shadowy flank, headed for the rear courtyard. He beckons with one hand as he goes. 

PROZNIAK: SO, FOLLOW.

PAGE THIRTEEN

Panel One  
LENTO tucks the case file under one arm, holding a wad of crime scene photos in his free hand, looking between them and the yard in which they're standing. They're standing, with RALPH in translucent (and, to them, invisible) attendance, right where Latoya's body once lay.   
PROZNIAK lifts the lid off one of the clustered trashcans, screwing up his nose at the smell that wafts up.

LENTO: THIS'S THE SPOT, BOSS. THIS IS WHERE SHE DIED.

PROZNIAK: JEEZ. THEY TAKE A WITNESS STATEMENT FROM OSCAR THE GROUCH?

Panel Two  
PROZNIAK takes the photos off LENTO and has a peer at them, comparing them with the spot where he's standing. LENTO points up at the elevated train track that runs past the building, blocking off a lot of light from the courtyard; RALPH follows his gaze.

LENTO: WHAT'S THAT?

Panel Three  
PROZNIAK raises his glower from the photos to squint up at the rail track, one eyebrow raised, fishing in the pocket of his coat for a carton of cigarettes.

PROZNIAK: NEW SPUR OF THE ELEVATED RAIL. OPENED A FEW WEEKS BACK.   
KNOCKS TEN MINUTES OFF THE RIDE FROM RED HILLS TO DOWNTOWN, AND ABOUT TWO BILLION BUCKS OFF PROPERTY VALUES RIGHT THROUGH BELLEVILLE.

Panel Four  
PROZNIAK wedges a Marlboro between his teeth and flicks his lighter, turning back toward the apartment building. LENTO moves to follow him but RALPH stays where he and LENTO had been standing, staring up at the rail track. 

PROZNIAK: LUCKY FOR US. MEANS THE LANDLADY COULDN'T FIND A NEW SCHMUCK TO LEASE THE VIC'S APARTMENT YET.   
LET'S GO TAKE A LOOK. 

Panel Five  
While the two cops head back to the front of the building RALPH stays put for a beat, hands in pockets, frowning, still staring up at the elevated track. Chilly rain is beginning to fall. It falls right through him.

PAGE FOURTEEN  
Panel One  
PROZNIAK and LENTO stand in the doorway of Latoya's cramped apartment, where mold and damp makes the wallpaper bloom. PROZNIAK, the key fob dangling from his little finger and his cigarette stuck to his lower lip, wrinkles up his nose again. LENTO looks mildly trepidatious. RALPH stretches up (on tiptoes), peering over their shoulders into the room.

LENTO: SAY, WHAT'RE WE LOOKING FOR IN HERE?

Panel Two  
PROZNIAK leads the way into the apartment, still sucking on his cigarette; RALPH strides after him, while LENTO is noticeably bringing up the rear. 

We get to see a little more of the apartment as the three of them enter: the decor scheme is "Goodwill" and "neglect". The place is festering almost visibly, with clothes strewn over a swaybacked couch and takeout cartons stacked on a rickety coffee table by a TV set old enough to have an antenna. A doorway off the room gives access to a bedroom. There's a mirror on the far wall and a bookshelf nailed above the couch: on it, between a stack of telephone directories and a wilted houseplant, a sizeable gap is visible. 

PROZNIAK: NO PRECONCEPTIONS. JUST WHATEVER'LL LET US DROP THE CARBONE ANGLE PRONTO.

Panel Three  
LENTO stops short, one finger raised, lightbulb all but visible above his head: 

LENTO: LIKE... A NOTE SAYING HE AIN'T THE ONE WHO DID IT?

Panel Four  
PROZNIAK facepalms. Beside him, RALPH stands studying the gap on the bookshelf, extending a fingertip to brush through the dust.

PROZNIAK: JUST... TRYTA KEEP AN OPEN MIND.  
SHOULDN'T BE TOUGH FOR YOU. 

Panel Five  
Closeup on the bookshelf, visible through RALPH: in that gap between the books and ornaments, there's a six-inch circle free of the dust that covers the rest of the laminate. RALPH is bending down to peer at it, frowning, stroking his chin.

PAGE FIFTEEN  
Panel One  
While PROZNIAK picks up a sheaf of mail from the counter of the apartment's grubby kitchenette, LENTO disappears through the doorway to Latoya's bedroom.

RALPH (caption): BIG ENOUGH FOOTPRINT TO HAVE BEEN A VASE, MAYBE. SOMETHING HEAVY. HEFTY ENOUGH TO BRING DOWN ON A PERSON'S SKULL. 

Panel Two  
LENTO's speech balloon reaches around through the doorway from the as-yet-unseen bedroom; RALPH and PROZNIAK both look up as he speaks:

LENTO: AWWWW, MAN. COME TAKE A LOOK AT THIS!

Panel Three  
Latoya's rumpled bedroom, viewed from the doorway: LENTO is standing in front of Latoya's underwear drawer, holding up a generously-proportioned bra in both hands and grinning like a loon. 

Panel Four  
RALPH, front and center of the panel, rolls his eyes and turns away. Beside him PROZNIAK is still facing into the room: we can't see what he's looking at.

PROZNIAK: VERY FUNNY.  
HUH, WAIT A SECOND... 

Panel Five  
RALPH risks a look back over his shoulder: PROZNIAK is fishing in a trashcan that stands by Latoya's bed. 

PROZNIAK: AW, YEAH. THAT'S THE GOOD STUFF.

PAGE SIXTEEN  
Panel One  
Closeup on one of PROZNIAK's hands. He's holding the two halves of a torn-up photograph. One half of the photo shows LATOYA MITTY, several years younger than when we last saw her, smiling in honest-to-goodness simple happiness. The other half shows a thick-set white man, stubbly, kinda schlubby, shaven headed, smiling with equal contentment. They're in summer clothes, a green park and an icecream stand behind them. The arms they had around each other's shoulders are torn in half at the join.

LENTO's speech balloon emerges from offpanel.

LENTO: WHO'S THAT?

Panel Two  
Pull out to show both the puzzled LENTO and the animated PROZNIAK, who stabs at the photo with his still-lit cigarette.

PROZNIAK: NOT CARBONE, IS WHO THAT IS.

Panel Three  
Close shot of PROZNIAK's face: He's beaming.

PROZNIAK: OUR NEW PRIME SUSPECT.

Panel Three  
PROZNIAK leads the way out to the apartment's main door and LENTO follows. RALPH stays where he is in the bedroom.

PROZNIAK: C'MON, ROOK. WE GET THE BIG BRAINS AT THE STATION TO NAME THIS MOOK, WE CAN WRAP THIS CASE BEFORE THE GAME STARTS.

Panel Four  
RALPH stands alone for a moment, staring after the cops.

Panel Five  
RALPH seems to direct his question at the empty air in the unkempt bedrom.

RALPH: IN THE PHOTOGRAPH - WHO IS HE?

PAGE SEVENTEEN  
The page is divided into a regular six panel grid. In every panel (except the first, where RALPH is in position but LATOYA is not visible) RALPH and LATOYA are both present, remaining in the same positions, standing facing off against one another in the apartment. Firing their questions at each other, getting nowhere. All that changes are their body language and expressions. The background is Latoya's bedroom.

Panel One  
LATOYA's speech balloon appears at head-height, out of the empty air toward which RALPH directs his comment:

LATOYA: HOW LONG YOU KNOWN I WAS HERE?

RALPH: SINCE I WALKED IN. CAN YOU SHOW UP?

Panel Two  
LATOYA materializes, standing facing RALPH, just where her speech balloon came from last panel. She has her arms folded and she's pouting a little.

LATOYA: DON'T BEING VISIBLE WEAR YOU OUT?

Panel Three  
LATOYA jabs a finger at RALPH, accusatory.

RALPH: WHY'D YOU TEAR UP THE PICTURE?

LATOYA: WHY'D YOU LET THOSE PIGS GO THROUGH MY STUFF?

Panel Four  
RALPH gestures over his shoulder, toward the main room and the bookcase.

RALPH: WHAT WAS ON THE BOOKCASE?

LATOYA: WHY AIN'T YOU AT CARBONE'S?

Panel Five  
LATOYA puts her hands on her hips, scowling. She's gone translucent again.

RALPH: YOU THINK YOU COULD LET ME ASK THE QUESTIONS? 

LATOYA: YOU THINK YOU COULD LISTEN TO MY STORY?

Panel Six  
LATOYA has disappeared again. RALPH looks around, frustrated.

RALPH: WHY IS IT YOU FALL APART WHENEVER YOU COME TO TELL IT?

PAGE EIGHTEEN  
Panel One  
An establishing shot of a down-at-heel baseball ground. Fans in blue and white caps and scarves are streaming away from the bleachers, looking dejected. The INTERVIEWER's speech balloon rises up out of the crowd: he has a microphone and a cameraman in attendance. The cameraman's shooting footage of MIKE CARBONE - though we're zoomed far enough out that he doesn't need to be recognizable.

INTERVIEWER: COUNCILMAN CARBONE, YOU WANNA CALL IT LIKE YOU SAW IT?

CAPTION: ORBIT FIELD - HOME OF THE HUB CITY ALLOYS

Panel Two  
Close in on CARBONE, speaking into the INTERVIEWER's mic. He's flanked by ELIANA and PIETRO from issue #1. ELIANA is wearing a rehearsed smile for the camera; PIETRO has a wire in his ear and looks dour as a wet afternoon. SUE DIBNY, see-through and sceptical, is also among them.

CARBONE: YOU KNOW, BRIAN, IT WAS JUST PLUM BAD LUCK.   
THE ALLOYS GAVE IT EVERYTHING THEY HAD, BUT SOME DAYS EVEN THAT DOESN'T GET YOU WHAT YOU WANT. 

Panel Three  
ELIANA looks suddenly away from the group, pointing to a tall guy among the crowd.

ELIANA : OHMYGOD, THAT'S CHARLIE MORALES.  
HEY, CHARLIE!

INTERVIEWER: WELL, SO IT IS - CHARLIE, HUB'S MVP OF 1975-76! ENJOY THE GAME? HOW'D YOU LIKE THE ALLOYS' CHANCES FOR THE SEASON NOW?

Panel Four  
ELIANA hustles a mildly bewildered MORALES up next to CARBONE for a photo opportunity, and the anchor points the mic at him.

MORALES: NOT AS MUCH AS I LIKE THIS GUY'S CHANCES IN THE MAYOR ELECTION. THIS IS A GOOD GUY. THIS GUY IS GONNA BRING THIS CITY BACK TO LIFE.

Panel Five  
CARBONE and REYES shake hands in front of the camera. The interviewer turns to face it too.

INTERVIEWER: RINGING ENDORSEMENT THERE FROM CHARLIE MORALES FOR COUNCILMAN MIKE CARBONE. SHAME YOU CAN'T SAY THE SAME FOR THE ALLOYS, HUH CHARLIE? HA, HA.

PAGE NINETEEN  
Panel One  
ELIANA starts towing CARBONE away, with PIETRO in attendance, leaving the interviewer talking directly to the camera. MORALES waves goodbye to them, and CARBONE leans close to ELIANA to talk out of the side of his mouth.

CARBONE: YOU THINK THEY BOUGHT THAT? CHARLIE CHEERING ME ON LIKE THAT?

PIETRO: GEEZ, YOU WANNA KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN?

Panel Two  
CARBONE is a picture of wounded innocence while ELIANA rolls her eyes, looking like it's been a long-ass day. SUE, translucent, giggles into her hand.

CARBONE: WHAT?

ELIANA: CALL ME OLD SCHOOL, BOSS, BUT I THINK PR STUNTS WORK BETTER IF YOU DON'T ADMIT THEY'RE STUNTS TIL THE NEWS CREW'S OUT OF EARSHOT. 

Panel Three  
And now CARBONE's starting to get a sulk on. They've reached a parked-up black Audi; PIETRO opens the nearside rear passenger door for CARBONE to climb in while ELIANA takes the driver's seat. SUE prepares to merge through the door into the spare rear pasenger seat. 

CARBONE: WHY'D WE HAVE TO DO ALL THIS CRAP ANYWAY?

ELIANA: YOU'RE HONESTLY GOING TO ASK ME THAT? YOU EVER THINK YOU PICKED THE WRONG CAREER?

Panel Four  
Inside the car, CARBONE is abruptly distracted. SUE has settled herself on the seat next to him and for a moment he looks right at her, frowning. She is looking straight ahead, initially oblivious...

Panel Five  
And now CARBONE looks away from her, back to the front of the car, frowning, while SUE turns to look at him in round-eyed surprise, realizing that in some measure he's aware of her.

PAGE TWENTY  
Panel One  
Up in the front two seats, PIETRO eyes the suddenly-quiet CARBONE in the rearview mirror while ELIANA, arms folded, drums her fingertips on her forearm, blowing her hair up off her face.

PIETRO: Y'OKAY, BOSS?

ELIANA: HE'S SULKING, PIETRO. BECAUSE I'VE BEEN PICKING ON HIM.

Panel Two  
CARBONE rubs his hands over his eyes, trying to clear his head. SUE chews on her lower lip.

CARBONE: I DON'T MEAN THE PHOTO OP CRAP, I MEAN THE ALLOYS CRAP.   
I'M TRYING TO RUN A SERIOUS CAMPAIGN HERE, AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET MY FACE ON CAMERA IS TO WRING MY DAMN HANDS AND SAY THE WHITE SOX GOT LUCKY?   
LIKE THAT'S THE BIGGEST DAMN PROBLEM FACING THIS TOWN?

Panel Three  
PIETRO frowns and checks out CARBONE in the mirror; ELIANA rolls her eyes, interrupting him.

PIETRO: JEEZ, SOMETHING'S REALLY EATING YOU, HUH? WHAT, YOU GET THE RESULTS FROM THE OTHER GAMES OR SOMETHING?

CARBONE: I DIDN'T LOOK YET. LA-

ELIANA: LATOYA USED TO TEXT THEM TO HIM.

Panel Four  
ELIANA cranes her head around in her seat, looking back at CARBONE. PIETRO keeps his eyes on the road.

ELIANA: LISTEN, BOSS. LET'S NOT HAVE THIS ALL OVER AGAIN. NOT LIKE WE DID OVER OSTRAKER.

SUE (CAPTION): C'MON, C'MON! TELL ME ABOUT OSTRAKER ALREADY!

PAGE TWENTY ONE  
Panel One  
Panned-out shot taking in the whole scene: the car has pulled up at the steps of an elegant detached house, set in its own garden, in the one suburb of Hub that's yet to start falling apart. CARBONE's stepped out of the passenger door and is already walking up the steps to his porch, waving goodbye as he goes. SUE is merging out through the car's passenger door. ELIANA and PIETRO are still in the car; ELIANA has her window wound down and is waving goodnight out of it as well.

CAPTION: RED HILLS, HUB CITY

CARBONE: THANKS FOR THE RIDE, GUYS. AND THE MORAL SUPPORT. SEVEN THIRTY START TOMORROW?

ELIANA: I'LL GET YOUR COFFEE.

Panel Two  
This panel and the two that follow are identically sized and arranged along a single line, making up the centre of the page.

We're close up on the back of CARBONE's head and his shoulders, as though we're standing close behind him (as SUE is, though we don't see her in the panel). CARBONE is turning his door key in the lock. 

Panel Three  
Same view as before; CARBONE has turned the key and the door is open a crack, but he freezes for a second. He's turned back, looking back over his shoulder, staring right at us. His expression is haunted. 

Panel Four  
And the same view again, but CARBONE's face has changed: there's nothing to see, he's imaging things. He uses his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, pushing open the door with the one that holds the key.   
CARBONE: SO I LIED, CONSCIENCE. GOING TO CHEW ME ALL NIGHT?

Panel Five  
CARBONE has made it in through the doorway and stands in his hall, pulling open the door of a closet there.

CARBONE: HOW ABOUT IF I LOSE THE DISGUISE?

PAGE TWENTY TWO

Panel One  
CARBONE stands in front of the open closet, peeling off his blue Alloys scarf with one hand, using the other to chuck his Alloys baseball cap into the bottom of the closet.

Panel Two  
He pulls aside a cluster of coats all grouped together on the rail, revealing behind them, fixed to the back wall of the closet, something like a baseball shrine. There's a hook holding a red Spoke City Dynamos cap and scarf. A framed Dynamos shirt, decorated with a whole team's worth of autographs. A beat-up match ball in a glass case. Pride of place goes to a large framed photograph. We get in closer to it in the next panel, where we see...

Panel Three  
The photo shows CARBONE, beaming like a kid who's just been given a racing bike, sat at a restaurant table with a chequered cloth and a couple of beers. He's so excited he's making a thumbs-up, for all that he's a full-grown man dressed in the same suit he goes campaigning in (albeit with his tie a little loose). Sat next to him, a matey arm thrown around his shoulder, is a rangy-looking guy in his sixties: weatherbeaten face, thinning hair, and a smile from ear to ear. The picture is autographed (clearly enough to read): "TO MIKE: DYNAMO TIL I DIE! LEN OSTRAKER".

CARBONE's face, in profile, occupies the far right of the panel; SUE's the far left. SUE is staring at the photograph in shock. CARBONE looks like the weight of the day has just slipped off his shoulders.

CARBONE: AH YEAH. THAT FEELS BETTER.

CAPTION: NEXT ISSUE: DEAD WEIGHT


	3. Undetected #3: Dead Weight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Hub City's less-than-hardboiled cops failing to crack Latoya's case, Ralph and Sue set out themselves to find the murder weapon -- and try to find justice for Latoya. But a lie at the heart of the story is starting to unravel, and the truth the Dibnys turn up flips the case on its head.

UNDETECTED #3  
October 2010

 

***  
Ralph, Sue and Ted are copyright DC Comics. No copyright infringement intended  
***

PAGE ONE  
Panel One  
It's shaping up to be a mean old dark night in the Belleville section of Hub City: only a little sickly orange streetlight makes its way into the hallway of Latoya Mitty's apartment building, where SUE DIBNY is making her tentative way up the narrow staircase toward the reader.

The door to Latoya's apartment is closed, but, as Sue approaches it, the room is clearly occupied: the sound effect breaks out from the door itself.

FX: SMASH!  
CAPTION: BELLEVILLE, HUB CITY

Panel Two  
Sue stands frowning outside the door, hands on her hips.

SUE: RALPH?

Panel Three  
She steps forward, materializing through the door, so we now see her from inside the apartment, her face and upper body through the closed door, looking concerned...

Panel Four  
... and a crystal flower vase smashes right beside her face, showering wilted carnations down the wall.

FX: KISSSSHHHHHH

Panel Five  
We pan out to view the scene inside the apartment, where RALPH DIBNY is dodging a projectile saucepan that wings across the room from an unseen source somewhere in the grubby kitchenette. He still musters a cheery smile for his wife, though.

RALPH: HI, HONEY.

PAGE TWO  
Panel One  
SUE raises her hands to shield her face as a slew of cutlery lances through the air toward her, originating from about the same point as the saucepan did. 

SUE: RALPH! WHAT'S GOING ON?

Panel Two  
RALPH, dodging an airborne spatula, brandishes a handful of paper at SUE: public transit schedules and bus tickets, it looks like.

RALPH: WELL, I FOUND THESE. THEY PUT LATOYA AT THE LAKESHORE ON THE DAY SHE DIED.

Panel Three  
SUE pulls a face at him, gesticulating at a cheese grater as it whizzes past her head:

SUE: LAKESHORE NOTHING - WHAT'S ALL THIS?!

Panel Four  
RALPH catches on as a steak knife pinions the wall inches from his ear; SUE covers her eyes and shakes her head.

RALPH: OH! THIS?  
IT'S POSSIBLE LATOYA WATCHED   
POLTERGEIST ONE TIME TOO MANY.

SUE: SHE WAS ALWAYS WOUND TIGHT, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING ELSE. WHAT SET HER OFF? 

Panel Five  
RALPH shrugs as SUE pulls him out of the flightpath of an inbound potted cactus: it shatters on the wall just above their heads. SUE rolls her eyes.

RALPH: I DON'T KNOW. I WAS JUST TALKING TO HER.

SUE: YOU'D THINK I'D RECOGNISE YOUR INTERPERSONAL SKILLS IN ACTION BY NOW.

Panel Six  
All the lightbulbs in the apartment blow at once; RALPH and SUE look up at the lightfittings in the darkness.

FX (lightbulbs blowing): TISH!  
SUE: I CAME TO TELL YOU I'VE UNCOVERED MIKE CARBONE'S DARK SECRET. THE DIRT THAT LATOYA HAS ON HIM. 

RALPH: GANG-BANGING? GRAFT? WET WORK?

PAGE THREE  
Panel One  
In the apartment's kitchenette, what looks like a fountain of blood geysers up out of the plughole of the sink. RALPH's eyes pop; SUE looks like she just considers it bad housekeeping.

SUE: BASEBALL.   
HE'S BEEN LYING ABOUT HIS COLORS. SUPPORTS THE OUT-OF-TOWN RIVALS. 

Panel Two  
RALPH is nonplussed.

RALPH: Huh.  
YOU THINK WOODWARD AND BERNSTEIN WOULD'VE GOT OUT OF BED FOR THAT ONE? 

Panel Three  
Talking heads of RALPH and SUE.  
SUE: NOT SO MUCH. AND IF LATOYA DIDN'T HAVE ANY REAL JUICE ON CARBONE, THEN -

RALPH: THEN HE DIDN'T HAVE A MOTIVE TO OFF HER.

Panel Four  
Abruptly, all the windows of the apartment smash in, showering the room with glass. RALPH and SUE instinctively throw up their arms to cover their heads.

FX: KRRRSSSSH

PAGE FOUR  
This page is laid out on a nine-panel grid. Each panel is identically sized; each shows RALPH and SUE dodging in new and creative ways from a barrage of thrown objects that wing past them to smash against the wall.

Panel One  
Thrown object: an iron   
RALPH: LATOYA, PLEASE. WE KNOW IT WASN'T CARBONE. HE NEVER FITTED AS THE PERP.

Panel Two  
Thrown object: a snowglobe of the Disney castle  
RALPH: YOU NAMED CARBONE TO PROTECT SOMEONE ELSE.

Panel Three  
Thrown object: a high heeled shoe  
RALPH: THE PHOTO THE POLICE FOUND TORN UP IN YOUR TRASH - WHO'S THE GUY? YOU TWO HAVE A FIGHT?

Panel Four  
Thrown object: a pineapple  
RALPH: EVEN COPS AS BAD AS HUB'S WILL FIND HIM IN THE END. 

Panel Five  
Thrown object: a fluffy rabbit slipper. RALPH has stopped bothering to duck now, and simply lets the shoe pass straight through him.

RALPH: TALK TO US, AND WE CAN HELP YOU. MAYBE WE CAN GET THERE FIRST.

Panel Six  
Thrown object: a teddy bear  
RALPH: OR TELL US WHAT'S MISSING FROM YOUR BOOKSHELF. WHATEVER IT WAS, IT'S BIG ENOUGH TO HAVE BEEN A WEAPON.   
Panel Seven  
RALPH and SUE brace themselves, but in this panel there's no salvo of missiles. 

Panel Eight  
Still no ballistic onslaught here. RALPH raises one eyebrow. SUE looks off panel to the right.   
RALPH: AW, I THOUGHT WE HAD A RHYTHM GOING.

SUE: HONEY - IN THE MIRROR...

Panel Nine  
RALPH turns his head to look in the direction in which SUE's now pointing, and his eyes saucer.

PAGE FIVE  
Panel One  
The mirror hangs on the far wall of the apartment: scrawled on it, in blood, is the message "GO JUMP IN THE LAKE".

Panel Two  
RALPH and SUE stand staring at the message.

Panel Three  
Closer in on RALPH's face. He looks absolutely transfixed, and he's starting to smile.

Panel Four  
And now he's really grinning. Oh, this is going to be good.

PAGE SIX  
This is one of those "coffin stacking" pages (each panel is pagewidth), and I don't care if it didn't work in Spiderman because it's going to work here.

Panel One  
A panoramic view of a flat, wide shingle beach. The sweep of the bay curves away from us, joining the horizon at the point in the sky where first light is breaking against a bank of low snow clouds. It's freezing: ice is forming out on the lake, making a jigsaw of frozen shards that jostle on the grey water underneath. No humans are in sight; just a stray dog, nosing along the waterline. At the right of the panel a darkened pier juts into the frozen lake, a deserted launch moored to its struts and on the verge of being trapped by the encroaching ice.

At the centre of the scene we see the remote figure of RALPH DIBNY, walking away from us, toward the water.

CAPTION: LAKESHORE, HUB CITY  
CAPTION (RALPH): IT'S TURNED COLD AGAIN. LIKE EVERY LEAD ON THIS CASE. 

Panel Two  
RALPH keeps walking, almost down at the waterline. That lone dog, a little way from him, stops to stare, its hackles raised and its fur on end. A little way out from the beach we can see a few wading birds picking their way across the ice floes. 

RALPH (CAPTION): TIL NOW.

Panel Three  
RALPH's still advancing: He's actually into the water now (which is obviously no problem for a ghost). The birds out on the ice all take off together and fly away.

RALPH (Caption): I'LL KNOW WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR WHEN I SEE IT.

Panel Four  
RALPH disappears entirely under the surface of the frozen lake.  
RALPH (Caption): HER THROW CAN'T HAVE BEEN THAT STRONG, RIGHT?

PAGE SEVEN  
Panel One  
RALPH is now fully underwater, walking on the bottom of the lake. The light is grey blue, and wherever RALPH moves fish shoal away from him. The lakebed is strewn with odds and ends, half-discernible shapes protruding from the silt.

RALPH (caption): MAN. THE CITY DUMP DOESN'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT OWES THIS PLACE.

Panel Two  
Close up on the garbage strewn along the bottom: grocery carts, busted bicycles, broken bottles. Among the general murk, picked out by a thin lance of light from the water's surface, there's a glimpse of something gold.

Panel Three  
Zoom in closer on this shining object among all the debris and crud. It's half-covered by silt and by the other junk, but we can make out the shape of something like a trophy.

RALPH (caption): THERE.

Panel Four  
RALPH squats down beside the object, staring at his own hands.  
RALPH (caption): COME ON. JUST HAVE TO FOCUS. IF A POLTERGEIST CAN DO IT, SO CAN I.

Panel Five  
Close in on RALPH's hands as he tries to take hold of the object.

RALPH (caption): I MOVED THOSE PAPERS, BACK IN THE COP SHOP. I CAN MOVE THIS.

Panel Six  
RALPH screws his eyes shut, exerting everything he has, trying to take physical form.

Panel Seven  
He's done it. It works. The object slides free in his hands. RALPH grins like a marathon winner.  
RALPH: THERE.

PAGE EIGHT  
Panel One  
SUE DIBNY is sat at a barstool with a tall gin, running her finger around the rim of the glass. She looks glum.

CAPTION: BLIND TIGER BAR, HUB CITY

Panel Two  
RALPH appears at SUE's side at the table and plants a smacker on her cheek. He has a look on his face more commonly seen on the faces of excited labrador puppies, and is carrying the trophy from the lakebed. In the background we can see a little of the rest of the bar: it's much quieter than before; just a few lonely patrons keeping their own counsel. The usual BARMAN is behind the counter, contemplating a bottle that looks like (but isn't) Bombay sapphire.

SUE clocks the trophy and looks up at her husband.

SUE: THEY HANDED OUT THE AWARDS FOR "DETECTIVE MOST LIKELY TO OWE HIS WIFE AN EARLY NIGHT" ALREADY? 

Panel Three  
RALPH sets the trophy down on the table; SUE frowns at it some more, realization sinking in.  
SUE: THAT'S... THAT'S INTACT. 

RALPH: YEP.

SUE: AS IN, IT'S SOLID.

RALPH: SURE IS.

Panel Four  
SUE's eyes are popping now.  
SUE: IT'S FROM... THE OTHER SIDE?

RALPH: WHERE ELSE?

SUE: AND YOU'RE HOLDING IT.

Panel Five   
SUE stares up at her grinning husband in astonishment.  
RALPH: SO I AM.

SUE: HOW ARE YOU DOING THAT?

Panel Six  
This time RALPH gives SUE a big kiss on the lips.  
RALPH: I'M A SUPERHERO.

PAGE NINE  
Panel One  
RALPH, pleased as punch with himself, looks up and around the half-empty saloon. The BARMAN kind of glares at him from behind the bar, stowing the liquor bottle up on a high shelf.

RALPH: TED NEEDS TO SEE THIS.   
HEY, BARKEEP? HAVE YOU SEEN OUR FRIEND? INDIGO THREADS, INFANTILE JOKES, INDECIPHERABLE TASTE IN WOMEN? 

BARMAN: YOU PEOPLE THINK I'M YOUR BABYSITTER OR SOMETHING?

Panel Two  
Taken by surprise at the brusque response, RALPH lacks a comeback. Sue's nonplussed too. The BARMAN looks strangely bitter.

SUE: I DIDN'T KNOW TED COULD DRAG HIMSELF AWAY FROM THIS PLACE.

BARMAN: YEAH, WELL. MAYBE HE WENT BACK. 

Panel Three  
The BARMAN keeps scowling; SUE too is starting to frown.

SUE: BACK?

BARMAN: Y'KNOW. BACK. BACK THE OTHER SIDE. YOUR PEOPLE DO THAT ALL THE TIME, DON'T THEY?

Panel Four  
SUE frowns and looks like she wants to say more, but RALPH takes her arm and draws her attention back to the trophy.  
RALPH: TAKE A LOOK AT THIS THING, SUE.

Panel Five  
We get to see the trophy close-up. It's pretty battered, dented and scratched, but the inscription's still legible. It reads "HUB SCHOOL DISTRICTS COMBINED SPELLING BEE, CHAMPION 1986: LATOYA MITTY"

SUE: THE MURDER WEAPON?

RALPH: HERE'S THE TWIST.

PAGE TEN  
Panel One   
Ralph crumples the edge of the trophy with a hand.

RALPH: IT'S CHEAP METAL. IT GOT CRUMPLED JUST LYING IN THE LAKE. HELL, I CAN SQUASH IT, AND I'M INCORPOREAL.   
THIS WOULD FLATTEN BEFORE IT WOULD DENT YOUR SKULL.

SUE: THEN... WHY DID IT WIND UP IN THE LAKE?

Panel Two  
RALPH shrugs deeply; SUE shakes her head.

RALPH: I'D ASK LATOYA, BUT YOU KNOW HOW THAT TENDS TO GO.

SUE: IF SHE DOESN'T WANT TO TALK TO US, WHY'D SHE EVER GET US INVOLVED?   
AND HERE'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S STUMPING ME. 

Panel Three  
Talking head of SUE. 

SUE: I WENT TO THE PRECINCT, CHASED UP THE GUY IN THE PHOTO.  
TONY GRAY. HE'S LATOYA'S EX ALL RIGHT. BUT HE HAD AN ANEURYSM THREE MONTHS AGO. HE WAS IN A COMA LONG BEFORE LATOYA ... Y'KNOW. SWITCHED TO OUR TEAM. 

Panel Four  
RALPH puts his head in his hands.  
RALPH: SO... WE'RE DOWN TO NO MURDER WEAPON, NO SUSPECTS, AND NO MOTIVE.

SUE: AND NO IDEA WHAT THE VICTIM WANTS FROM US. 

PAGE ELEVEN  
Panel One   
RALPH scratches his head.  
RALPH: SHE SAID SHE WANTED JUSTICE.

Panel Two  
SUE tilts her head on one side, smiling wistfully, back to tracing her finger around the lip of her glass.

SUE: IT SEEMED LIKE THE MOST OBVIOUS THING IN THE WORLD, ALL THOSE YEARS ON THE LEAGUE.   
THEN WHEN YOU'RE HERE - AFTER THE FACT, YOU KNOW? THERE'S NO LAW ANY MORE, NO COURTS... NO CHANGE.   
MAKES YOU WONDER WHAT WE EVER MEANT BY "JUSTICE". 

Panel Three  
RALPH sits staring into space, cogs turning in his head.

RALPH: WHAT IT MEANT...

Panel Four  
Very close up on RALPH.

RALPH: JUSTICE.   
JUST-ICE.

Panel Five  
RALPH is on his feet, grabbing SUE's hand to pull her after him.

RALPH: I'VE GOT IT.

PAGE TWELVE  
Panel One  
New scene. We're back at Latoya's apartment building. The perspective is as though we're watching from the window of another building, across the street. RALPH leads SUE down the narrow passage at the side of the building, heading for the back yard - he's tugging her by the arm, almost running. The chilly morning Ralph spent down in the lake has built into a frigid day: it's been so cold that ice has crusted on the puddles in the yard and formed on the uprights of the rail bridge. Even now there are a few flakes of sleet in the air.

CAPTION LATOYA MITTY'S APARTMENT BUILDING.  
BELLEVILLE SECTION, HUB CITY.

Panel Two  
In the rear courtyard, RALPH leads SUE right to the wretched spot where LATOYA died. 

RALPH: HERE. RIGHT HERE. AND NOW WE WAIT.

Panel Three  
Closer up, so we can see RALPH and SUE's faces: RALPH's confident, expectant; SUE's puzzled.

SUE: WAIT? WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?

Panel Four  
Pull back a little again, to put them into the context of the yard. They're standing just on the edge of the line of shadow cast by the elevated rail track. RALPH is looking up; SUE holds his hand and studies his face.

RALPH: ANY MINUTE NOW.

PAGE THIRTEEN  
Panel One  
Almost a copy of the previous panel, but the rail bridge has started, almost indetectably, to shudder. (I'm thinking faintly blurred lines to illustrate this.)

FX: CREEEAAAAK

SUE: WHAT'S THAT?

Panel Two  
The same scene again: the shuddering is more pronounced now. The sound effect seems to be all around RALPH and SUE; RALPH is still looking up.

FX: RRRRRRRRRRRRRRR  
RALPH: YOU'LL SEE...

Panel Three  
As the shuddering rumble builds to a deafening pitch, we see its cause: a passenger train rushes over the courtyard on the elevated track. As it passes, the vibration makes the chunks of ice that have formed on the underside of the bridge begin to creak and crack off entirely. 

FX (Train): RRRRRRMMMMBLE   
FX (Falling ice): CREEEAAAAK

 

Panel Four  
The broken ice crashes down from the overpass into the yard where RALPH and SUE are standing, and breaks all around their feet.   
FX: CRACK  
SHHHHHHHH

PAGE FOURTEEN  
Panel One  
RALPH steps away from the rail track and looks up at it, hands on hips. SUE is standing wide-eyed, with her hand covering her mouth.

RALPH: THE LAST COLD SNAP WAS ENDING ON THE NIGHT LATOYA TOOK OUT THE TRASH. THE ICE WOULD HAVE MELTED BY THE TIME SHE WAS FOUND.

Panel Two  
RALPH squats down to examine a great gout of broken-off ice lying beside the trashcans.  
The other voice emerges from off-panel.

RALPH: EVEN A CHUNK BIG ENOUGH TO SMASH A PERSON'S SKULL. 

SPEAKER: ALL MY NEIGHBORS WERE MAD WHEN THE RAIL LINE OPENED, THREE WEEKS BACK. MAKES THE WINDOWS RATTLE.   
I DIDN'T MIND IT.

Panel Three  
The speaker is LATOYA, of course. She's materialized beside them, standing on the spot where she died. She's less solid than usual, translucent, looking down at the asphalt instead of looking RALPH or SUE in the eye.

LATOYA: THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD THING, MONEY GETTING SPENT ON HUB LIKE THAT. SOMETHING NEW. SOMETHING THAT WORKS. IT WAS MY BOSS'S INITIATIVE.

Panel Four  
LATOYA smiles, passing her immaterial hand through the struts of the bridge.  
LATOYA: OH, I THOUGHT HE WAS A REAL GOOD GUY. A REAL NEW KINDA PROSPECT FOR THIS TOWN. PROUD TO WORK FOR HIM, YOU KNOW?

Panel Five  
LATOYA turns and addresses RALPH.  
LATOYA: I HAD SUCH BIG DAMN HOPES FOR MYSELF. I WAS SMART IN SCHOOL.   
YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT? YOU FOUND THE TROPHY?

RALPH: YOU THREW IT IN THE LAKE.

PAGE FIFTEEN  
We've switched into flashback mode for the entirety of this page (use a muted subset of the color palette), but LATOYA keeps narrating.

Panel One  
The panel shows LATOYA looking in a drawer at CARBONE's office, seeing the Len Ostraker photo that Sue later saw at his house.

LATOYA (caption): YEAH. WHEN I FOUND OUT ABOUT CARBONE'S BASEBALL BULLSHIT. 

Panel Two  
LATOYA slams the desk drawer shut as CARBONE walks into the room beaming at her.

LATOYA (caption): MY SQUEAKY-CLEAN BOSS, WHO MADE ME FEEL SO GOOD ABOUT MYSELF - HE WAS AS BIG A PHONY AS EVERYONE ELSE.   
PAINTING HIMSELF THIS STRAIGHT, HONEST GUY, AND FIBBING LIKE A MOTHERFUCKER TO STITCH UP A FEW MORE VOTES.

Panel Three  
Now LATOYA's in her apartment, drinking alone, scowling across at the trophy on her bookshelf. She's dressed in a thick coat.

LATOYA (caption): A LACKEY FOR A SCHMUCK LIKE THAT-- THAT WAS ALL I WAS EVER GONNA BE? 

Panel Four  
And she's down at the lakeshore in the heavy rain, shrouded in the same coat from the last panel. She hurls the spelling bee trophy into the water.  
LATOYA (caption): THAT WAS ALL THAT BEING A SMART KID IN A DUMB TOWN IS GOOD FOR?

Panel Five  
LATOYA is sat at her kitchen counter clutching the photograph we saw torn up in her trash can, tears lacquering her cheeks, the telephone receiver clamped to her ear.

LATOYA (Caption): AND THEN TONY. FIVE YEARS WE HAD TOGETHER. HE LEFT ME THREE DAYS BEFORE THE ANEURYSM.

Panel Six  
Now LATOYA's in a hospital room, holding the hand of TONY, the man from the photograph, as he lies unresponsive in the bed, flanked by beeping machines.

LATOYA (caption): AND ALL I COULD THINK TO MYSELF WAS, "YOU COULDN'T HAVE WAITED THREE MORE DAYS?" 

PAGE SIXTEEN  
Panel One  
We're back in the yard of Latoya's building. LATOYA's still staring fixedly at the spot where she died. RALPH and SUE stand together, facing her.

RALPH: YOU'RE ANGRY WITH THEM.

Panel Two  
At last LATOYA looks up at them, meets RALPH's eye. There is anger in her stance, but there's more of defeat.  
LATOYA: I'M NOTHING. I'M DEAD.

Panel Three  
LATOYA is so translucent now that it's almost hard to make her out.  
LATOYA: THAT'S ALL I GOT. THAT'S ALL IT CAME TO. I TOOK OUT THE TRASH ONE COLD-ASS NIGHT, AND... BAM.   
NONE OF IT MEANT ANYTHING, TO ANYONE. I GOT DEATH, BUT NOT A STORY. 

Panel Four  
For the final time, LATOYA is almost fully solid. There's a look in her eyes that's maybe a little defiant after all - like she has, in some sense, at last got what she needs. 

LATOYA: YOU KNOW WHAT JUSTICE IS?   
JUSTICE IS A STORY. 

Panel Five  
In this panel, wordlessly, LATOYA is fading completely out of view.

PAGE SEVENTEEN  
The structure of the page echoes that of the first page of issue 1: four consecutive zoomed-out panels showing LATOYA's yard.  
Panel One  
We're looking down on the yard, where RALPH and SUE are standing all alone, staring at the spot where LATOYA had stood.

Panel Two  
Same panel, but darkened a little. RALPH has reached across and taken Sue's hand.

Panel Three  
The same shot, again a little darker.

Panel Four  
This panel is completely black.

PAGE EIGHTEEN  
Panel One  
We're back in the old ghost bar, right where it all began. The panel's closely framed on RALPH and SUE, who're sat together, drinking. They are both staring into space, subdued.

CAPTION: THE BLIND TIGER BAR, HUB CITY.

Panel Two  
They look at each other without smiling, searching for something to say. Nothing comes.

Panel Three  
Another uncomfortable, silent beat. RALPH picks at the label on his beer. SUE folds her arms on the table, lowers her head to rest her cheek on them.

Panel Four  
RALPH: HERE'S ONE FOR YOU: WHAT DO PHANTOM DETECTIVES INVESTIGATE? 

Panel Five  
Reaction shot for SUE, who only arches one eyebrow and doesn't speak. 

Panel Six  
RALPH does jazz hands but doesn't quite manage to smile.  
RALPH: PHANTOM CRIMES. 

SUE: I NEVER THOUGHT I'D SAY THIS, BUT I WISH TED WAS HERE.

PAGE NINETEEN  
Panel One  
They both look around at the three-quarters-empty bar. The only familiar face is SOPHIA; she's keeping a respectful distance and a low profile off in a corner.   
RALPH: I CAN'T BELIEVE HE'S NOT BACK HERE YET.

SUE: MAYBE THE IN-CROWD'S MOVED ON? THIS PLACE IS PRACTICALLY DESERTED LATELY.

Panel Two  
SUE gets to her feet, leaving her drink abandoned on the table.

SUE: I'M GOING TO TAKE THEIR LEAD. THINK I'LL SWING BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, SEE WHAT I CAN DO TO STOP THIS NON-MURDER INVESTIGATION STICKING TO MICHAEL CARBONE.

Panel Three  
RALPH stands to follow, but the BARMAN waves at him from behind the counter.  
RALPH: I'LL COME WITH YOU.

BARMAN: HEY, DIBNY. BORROW YOU FOR A SECOND?

Panel Four  
SUE squeezes RALPH's hand at arm's length, still making for the door.

SUE: I'LL MEET YOU OUTSIDE. I'M READY FOR A BREATH OF FRESH AIR. 

Panel Five  
SUE kind of catches what she's just said, and pulls a face. RALPH cranes over to kiss her on the cheek.  
SUE: WELL - YOU KNOW. READY TO BE OUTSIDE.

 

PAGE TWENTY  
Panel One  
A pagewidth panel shows SUE standing outside the bar, waiting for RALPH. As ever, the exterior of the bar is blank and deserted.

Panel Two  
Close in on SUE: she's getting slightly antsy. How long's Ralph wanna be in there, anyway?

Panel Three  
SUE rolls her eyes, taps her toe.

SUE: PATHOLOGICALLY INCAPABLE OF NOT GOSSIPING WITH SEMI-STRANGERS...

Panel Four  
SUE turns and steps back through the front of the bar, so we see her from outside it, disappearing into the facade.

PAGE TWENTY ONE  
Panel One  
And now, taking up the top two-thirds of the page, we're back in the bar's interior - or rather, we're not.

It's gone.

The whole bar we knew is gone. Inside the building are only the abandoned, rotting fixings of the dive that used to be in here: peeled-up floorboards, shattered light fixtures draped with spiderwebs, the emptied bar counter thick with dust and backed by age-warped, cracked mirrors. The barman and all the patrons have completely disappeared...

SUE: OH MY GOD.

Panel Two  
...all except for one figure, sat hunched on the floor, knees pulled up to her chest and arms wrapped around herself. Sue puts her hand up to cover her mouth in shock, but manages one word:

SUE: SOPHIA?

PAGE TWENTY TWO  
Panel One  
SOPHIA just stares straight ahead as SUE approaches her. SOPHIA has something clutched in her hand.

SOPHIA: THEY'RE GONE - THEY VANISHED - IT ALL JUST - VANISHED.

Panel Two  
SOPHIA, shivering with shock, raises her hand to hold the thing she's clutching up to SUE. It's a polaroid photograph, the image on which we can't yet see.

SOPHIA: EXCEPT THIS.

Panel Three  
Close zoom in on the polaroid. It's a grainy, Eighties quality thing. It shows BARMAN, exactly as he looks today, with his arm around a woman in her twenties. They are both cradling a newborn baby wrapped in a blanket, and are beaming up at the photographer.  
Underneath the image, on the white part of the polaroid, a caption is written in marker pen: "SOPHIA, FOUR DAYS OLD".

CAPTION: CONCLUDES WITH #4, "DEAD DRUNK"


	4. Undetected #4: Dead Drunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First the perp disappeared -- then the victim -- then the entire case -- then so much more. Sue alone is left, and it's down to her to solve a much more sinister mystery at the heart of what death means.

UNDETECTED #4/4

"Dead Drunk"

 

By Alyosha Karamazov

 

November 2010

 

***

This is a nonprofit fan project just for fun. Sue, Ralph, Ted, Hub City, and THE RED BEE are all copyright DC Comics. No copyright infringement intended.

***

 

**PAGE ONE**

**Panel One**

We open on a spacious, empty room: the dilapidated shell of the Blind Tiger Bar. It's obviously long abandoned, choked with cobwebs and thick with shadows, as it was at the end of issue #3. In the center of the otherwise-deserted room, a shocked SUE DIBNY stands over the hunched-up figure of SOPHIA. SOPHIA is still clutching hold of her Polaroid photograph from issue #3, looking PTSD-ish.

 

SOPHIA: THEY'VE ALL GONE. GONE ON WITHOUT ME.

 

SUE: WHAT'S HAPPENED? WHERE **IS** EVERYONE?  WHERE'S THE DAMN BAR?

 

**Panel Two**

SUE snatches the photograph out of SOPHIA's hand and stares at it herself. SOPHIA is wild-eyed, struggling to calm down.

 

SOPHIA: WE'RE THE ONLY ONES LEFT. 

 

**Panel Three**

Close-up on the photograph in SUE's hand, showing the caption that identifies Sophia as the baby in the picture.

 

SUE: SOPHIA, I STEPPED OUT OF THE BAR FOR FIVE  MINUTES AND THE WHOLE PLACE DISAPPEARED.  MY **HUSBAND'S** DISAPPEARED. WHAT **HAPPENED** HERE?

 

The title - DEAD DRUNK - and credits fit into the bottom of this page.

 

**PAGE TWO**

**Panel One**

SOPHIA: STARTED RIGHT AFTER YOU STEPPED OUT.  DRINKS FOR EVERYONE, ON THE HOUSE, HE  SAID. POURED 'EM OUT, AND THEY DRANK 'EM  UP, AND THEN...

 

**Panel Two**

SOPHIA makes a "Boom" gesture with her hands, splaying out her fingers. She's staring straight ahead, not meeting SUE's eyes.

SOPHIA: WHITE LIGHT. THAT'S WHAT'S **MEANT** TO COME,  RIGHT? SOME DAY? A BIG BRIGHT LIGHT, AND  Y'ALL WALK INTO IT, AND THEN... YOU GONE.

 

**Panel Three**

SOPHIA keeps staring ahead, round-eyed, remembering.

SOPHIA: ALL OF THEM, GONE.

 

**Panel Four**

SOPHIA: **ALL** OF THEM.

SUE: ALL OF THEM BUT **YOU**.

 

**Panel Five**

SOPHIA is almost distraught; SUE is unimpressed.

SOPHIA: WHY'D THEY LEAVE ME? HOW COME **I** NEVER MADE  THE CUT? THEY GONE ON TO SOME **HIGHER** **PLANE** , AND I --

SUE: THEY HAVEN'T GONE TO A HIGHER PLANE.

 

**Panel Six**

SUE puts her hands on her hips, looking up and around the empty space for a hint of what's happened.

SUE: RALPH DIBNY NEVER GOT INTO ANYWHERE  EXCLUSIVE WITHOUT **ME** ON HIS ARM.

THEY LEFT YOU ON PURPOSE.

 

**PAGE THREE**

**Panel One**

SUE taps her fingertip against her lips, thinking. SOPHIA shrugs, shaking her head.

 

SUE: THE BARMAN NEVER **SERVED** YOU, RIGHT? DID  YOU GET ONE OF THESE DRINKS ON THE HOUSE?

 

SOPHIA: NO ID. NO SERVICE.

 

**Panel Two**

SUE shakes her head, pointing at SOPHIA.

SUE: THERE'S **MORE** TO IT THAN THAT. HE WANTED TO  **SPARE** YOU. 

I'M GOING TO FIND HIM. WITH YOUR HELP.

 

SOPHIA: WHAT? I DON'T KNOW HIM.

 

**Panel Three**

SUE waves the photograph at SOPHIA, who looks ashen.

SUE: YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS, DON'T YOU? THIS  **IS** YOU IN THE PICTURE?

 

SOPHIA: SO HE WAS MY **DAD**. DON'T MEAN I **KNOW** HIM.

 

**Panel Four**

SUE: WHAT **DO** YOU KNOW?

SOPHIA: ONLY WHAT MY MOM TOLD ME. HE DIED WHEN I  WAS THREE WEEKS OLD. 

 

**Panel Five**

SUE: YOUR MOM MET HIM AT THE BAR? 

 

**Panel Six**

SOPHIA shakes her head. 

SOPHIA: NUH-UH. AT HIS **SECOND** JOB. THEY BOTH  MOPPED FLOORS EARLY MORNINGS AT THE CITY  OBSERVATORY.

  
  


**PAGE FOUR**

**Panel One**

An establishing shot of the Hub observatory. Sue's comment, her response to Sophia's last remark, is displayed as a caption in the top lefthand corner.

 

The observatory is defunct. Obviously has been for years. Soot blackens the exterior walls, punctuated by smashed-in windows. Fireweed cracks the tarmac in the parking lot. The half-busted cupola bares its exposed beams to the night sky. Padlocked gates out front, their wire entwined with rampant kudzu, hold up a faded sign reading CONDEMNED - KEEP OUT.

 

SUE: THEN THAT'S WHERE WE START.

 

CAPTION: 2416 FOREMAN STREET, HUB CITY

FORMERLY, HUB CITY OBSERVATORY

 

**Panel Two**

SUE and SOPHIA pick their way through a dust-choked lobby. A sign on the wall proclaims "H B CI Y  BS RVAT RY WELC MES ISIT RS" and a cobweb-draped calendar on the wall proclaims the month to be August 1988. Framed by the shrivelled leaves of dead pot plants, the walls are decorated with framed telescopic photographs showing astronomical phenomena: asteroid showers, solar flares, nebulae. Off on the right-hand side of the panel, Sue reads a sign above a doorway that says "TELESCOPE DOME ↑". 

 

**Panel Three**

SOPHIA hugs herself, shivering, as she trails SUE into the corridor under the "TELESCOPE DOME" sign. 

 

**Panel Four**

SUE and SOPHIA emerge into a high, dark space: the dome that once housed the observatory's telescopes (like  [ this ](http://puka.cs.waikato.ac.nz/cgi-bin/cic/library?a=d&d=p1209.2) , but on a grander scale, so the human figures are dwarfed by the height of the dome). As we saw from the exterior, part of the domed roof has come away and starlight filters in to break up the otherwise-thick darkness. SUE and SOPHIA both squint into the darkness, SOPHIA hanging back a little at SUE's elbow.

 

**Panel Five**

Close in on SUE and SOPHIA. SOPHIA looks nervous, SUE determined. They have their backs to the room now.

 

The third speaker in the panel is unseen in the darkness behind them.

 

SOPHIA: CAN'T SEE A DAMN THING.

SUE: LET'S CHECK THE OFFICES IN BACK. MAYBE  HE-- 

 

VOICE (interrupting SUE):  YOU KNOW WHAT A  **SUPERNOVA** IS?

 

**Panel Five**

Reaction shot, tight on SUE and SOPHIA's faces. They're both frozen in shock, flinching from the voice that's coming from behind them.

 

**PAGE SIX AND SEVEN**

This is a double-page spread. Spread across the top two-thirds of both pages, a single panel shows the whole sweep of the telescope dome. A projector somewhere has switched on, and is casting a huge slide image of the  [ Crab Nebula ](http://kumphyk9.com/josh/images/nebula.jpg) onto the curving, broken walls and roof of the dome (a la   [ this ](http://www.flickr.com/photos/iyacalgary/3294820639/) , but again, bigger). Where part of the roof is missing, the real night sky interrupts the picture.

 

In front of the projection, staring up at it, stands our speaker: the BARMAN. He has his back to the reader, hands on hips, so the light from the projector renders him into silhouette. All around him are stacked a mound of glass liquor bottles, each one filled with liquid in a spectrum of colors, the projector light filtering through them.

 

BARMAN: A **GHOST STAR**.

WE CAN ONLY SEE 'EM AT ALL BECAUSE OF HOW  THEY WENT OUT. 

VIOLENTLY.

WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT - RIGHT NOW - IS  THE ECHO OF A DEATH.

**Panel Two**

This panel, and the following five, are arranged along the bottom of the two-page spread. 

 

Close up on SUE, SOPHIA pale and frightened just behind her. 

 

SUE: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY HUSBAND?

 

**Panel Three**

THE BARMAN looks over his shoulder at SUE. He's perfectly relaxed, even wearing the faintest of hospitable smiles on his face. He holds up a bottle half-filled with a colorless liquid, a shot glass upended over its cap.

 

BARMAN: LET ME FIX YOU A **DRINK**.

 

**Panel Four**

Another shot of SUE, zoomed in and framed tighter than before.

 

SUE: TELL ME WHERE RALPH IS.

 

**Panel Five**

THE BARMAN, standing amid his massed ranks of liquor bottles, spreads his hands.

 

BARMAN: HE'S RIGHT HERE, SUGAR.

 

**Panel Six**

Close-up shot on the legion of bottles, framing one of them front and center. It has no label, only a swirling, amethyst-colored substance inside.

 

**Panel Seven**

Reaction shot for SUE. She is completely wide-eyed with shock.

 

SUE: OH MY GOD.

 

**PAGE EIGHT**

**Panel One**

SUE covers her mouth with her hand in horror, staring at the great heap of filled bottles. The BARMAN watches on, sneering, arms folded across his chest.

 

SUE: NO.

HOW--  **WHY** ?

 

BARMAN: REAL SMART COOKIE LIKE YOU CAN'T EVEN  FIGURE THAT MUCH OUT?

**Panel Two**

SUE lunges to grab for one of the bottles while the BARMAN watches on. If it wasn't for the bitterness in his eyes he'd look amused.

 

BARMAN: NIGHT AFTER NIGHT YOU'RE IN MY BAR  BRAGGING. HOW YOU CAN APPEAR TO FOLKS.  **POSSESS** FOLKS. TOUCH THINGS. WELL, YOU  CAN'T TOUCH THESE.

 

**Panel Three**

SUE's fingers pass straight through the substance of the glass bottle; she recoils in shock.

 

BARMAN: IT'S A PARLOR GAME TO YOU, RIGHT? THIS  WHOLE EXISTENCE. THIS PLACE WHERE WE'RE  **TRAPPED** , UNFEELING, UNBEING. YOU PEOPLE  TREAT IT LIKE A GAME BECAUSE FOR YOU, IT  AIN'T FOREVER. 

 

**Panel Four**

The BARMAN watches SUE in bitter satisfaction, reaching into the back pocket of his jeans.

 

BARMAN: NOT FOR **YOU PEOPLE**. DEAD AIN'T DEAD FOR  YOU. SOME DAY, SOME PART OF YOU KNOWS,  YOU'RE GOING **BACK**.

 

**Panel Five**

A close-in shot, tightly framed on SUE's face.

 

SUE: **WHAT?**

 

**PAGE NINE**

**Panel One**

The BARMAN has produced a whisky flask from his back pocket. He holds it in one hand, jabbing the forefinger of the other at SUE's face.

 

BARMAN: BACK TO EARTH! BACK TO LIFE! **ALL** OF YOUR  KIND. Y'ALL GOT A REVOLVING DOOR ONTO THIS  PLACE.

 

**Panel Two**

Bitterly, he flips the cap off the whisky flask.

 

BARMAN: EVEN BEFORE YOU GO BACK, YOU'RE **STRONGER** THAN THE REST OF US.

 

**Panel Three**

The BARMAN gesticulates with the opened flask, a shot glass in his other hand.

 

BARMAN:  I **GET** IT, YOU KNOW. LEVITATION,  POSSESSION, WALKING THROUGH WALLS. AIN'T  NOTHING **STRANGE** FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU. 

 

NOT IF YOU **BEEN** USED TO LEAPIN' TALL  BUILDINGS AND SHOOTING LASERBEAMS OUTTA  YOUR **EYES**.

 

**Panel Four**

SUE rounds on him, desperately.

 

SUE: "PEOPLE LIKE ME"? I'M JUST LIKE YOU! I  NEVER **HAD** ANY POWERS!

 **TED** DIDN'T. EVEN **RALPH** WAS, WAS JUST A  REGULAR GUY WITH A BIG OL' BRAIN AND A...  A... SPECIAL **SOFT DRINK**.

 

**PAGE TEN**

**Panel One**

The BARMAN's profoundly unmoved by SUE's argument. He isn't even looking at her, any more: instead he stares down at his whisky flask. Its silver shell gleams under the stars in the projector light. 

 

BARMAN:  YEAH, WELL. MAYBE HE SHOULDA **STUCK** WITH  THE SOFT STUFF. 

 

**Panel Two**

SUE clocks the flask, rooted to the spot, as the BARMAN pours out a measure of liquid into the shot glass.

 

SUE: OH MY GOD. THAT'S HOW IT WORKS, ISN'T IT?  THAT'S HOW YOU **GOT** THEM. HOW YOU **CHANGED** THEM.

THE FREE DRINKS.

 

**Panel Three**

The BARMAN studies her. There's something like a smile on his face, but it's infinitely weary.

 

BARMAN:  YEAH. THAT'S HOW IT WORKS.

 

SOMETHING YOU LEARN, KEEPING BAR AS LONG  AS I DID. EVERYBODY GOT THAT NASTY  SELF-DESTRUCTIVE STREAK. 

DEEP DOWN, THERE'S A PART OF EVERYBODY  THAT JUST WANTS TO GET **DRUNK.**

 

**Panel Five**

The BARMAN throws the glassful of liquid into the face of the astonished SUE.

 

**PAGE ELEVEN**

**Panel One**

SUE looks down at herself in horror, the thrown liquid dripping from her face and clothes. In the background SOPHIA is shrinking further into the shadows, backing away.

 

BARMAN: THE STUFF I USED AT THE **TIGER** WAS DILUTE.  SLOW-ACTING. BUT THIS IS **NEAT**. IT WON'T  TAKE LONG. AND THEN:

 

**Panel Two**

Now the BARMAN holds up an empty glass bottle with a funnel in its neck, tapping its glass side and grinning nastily at SUE.

 

BARMAN: YOU GET TO JOIN MY SPIRIT COLLECTION. 

 

**Panel Three**

SUE is starting to become translucent. 

 

SUE: NO.

 

**Panel Four**

The BARMAN uses his free hand to pick up one of the full bottles, holding it up so that the light from the projector filters through its lilac-colored contents, studying them intently.

 

BARMAN: ALL THAT POWER YOU GOT, WHATEVER MOJO LETS  YOU PEOPLE GO BACK TO LIFE: I CAN **DISTILL** IT. GET IT OUT. **USE** IT.

 

**Panel Five**

SUE curls over, in pain, staring at all the filled bottles. The BARMAN stands over her, watching grimly as she becomes fainter and paler.

 

SUE: YOU'D DESTROY ALL THESE PEOPLE, JUST SO  YOU CAN GO BACK?

 

BARMAN: OF COURSE NOT.

 

**PAGE TWELVE**

**Panel One**

The shot's framed to place the uncomprehending SUE and the BARMAN, who's now smiling with unexpected tenderness, in the background, facing toward the reader. The foreground of the shot is dominated by SOPHIA, who is abruptly frozen on the spot while hiding among the shadows. She too faces the reader but does not meet our eyes. 

 

BARMAN: AIN'T ME WHO'S GOING BACK.

 

**Panel Two**

SOPHIA recoils.

 

SOPHIA: WHAT?

 

**Panel Three**

The BARMAN's stare is fixed on SOPHIA, his expression full of love.

 

BARMAN: IT'S **ALL** BEEN FOR YOU. JUST NEEDED SOME  PLACE TO MIX 'EM ALL TOGETHER. THEN IT'S  **READY** FOR YOU.

 

**Panel Four**

SOPHIA tries again to back away but the BARMAN encloses her in an embrace, the bottle with its funnel still in his hand. SOPHIA stares desperately over his shoulder at SUE, who is losing color, turning translucent, and who looks horrified.

 

SOPHIA: HEY, MAN, NO. **DAD,** NO. NOT LIKE THIS.

 

**Panel Five**

By now there are tears in the BARMAN's eyes.

 

BARMAN: I CAN GIVE YOU YOUR **LIFE** BACK. MY LITTLE  GIRL.

 

**PAGE THIRTEEN**

**Panel One**

SUE interposes herself between SOPHIA and the BARMAN, appealing to the latter, grabbing his shirtfront. She's only half there now, the density of colored glass, compared with the quite-solid forms of the other two. SOPHIA stands behind SUE, simply frozen with shock.

 

SUE: LISTEN. PLEASE, LISTEN TO ME. I **KNOW** THIS  PAIN.

 

**Panel Two**

SUE: WHEN I... GOT HERE, AFTER THE **SHOCK** , I  HOPED LIKE HELL THAT IT WOULD BE DECADES  BEFORE ANYONE I **LOVED** CAME TO JOIN ME.

 

MY FRIEND TED WAS HERE... WHAT, SIX MONTHS  LATER? AND THEN MY HUSBAND, A YEAR AFTER  THAT. 

 

**Panel Three**

SUE's stare is cast down so we can't read the expression in her eyes.

 

SUE: I'D NEVER CRIED FOR MYSELF. BUT I CRIED MY  EYES OUT OVER THEM. 

**Panel Four**

SUE grabs BARMAN by the shoulder as he tries to push her aside.

 

SUE: BUT THERE'S SO MUCH THAT DEATH DOESN'T  END. 

IT DOESN'T END YOUR LOVE.

IT DOESN'T TAKE AWAY WHO YOU  **WERE** .

 

**Panel Five**

The BARMAN brushes her off, turning away, brandishing the empty glass bottle. SOPHIA is shaking.

 

SUE: THE **ONLY** THING THAT CAN UNDO THAT IS WHAT  YOU'RE DOING NOW.

 

SOPHIA: DAD, **PLEASE**.

 

**Panel Six**

The BARMAN holds up the empty, funnelled bottle he's intending for SUE, staring into its insides. 

 

BARMAN: SHH. IT'LL BE **OVER** SOON.

 

**PAGE FOURTEEN**

**Panel One**

SUE has become entirely spectral: seethrough, and blurred around the edges. The BARMAN stands over her, holding the empty bottle with the funnel. She reaches up to him uselessly, her hand starting to bleed away into a fine swirl that curls toward the mouth of the funnel.

 

SUE: DON'T DO THIS. PLEASE DON'T DO THIS. 

 

**Panel Two**

SUE's fading fast, almost losing her form into a twisting column of smoke. All the color of her has been replaced with a cold white light. The pain of it hunches her over.

 

SUE: NNNGH.

 

**Panel Three**

Wracked with pain SUE tips her head back, open-mouthed, staring up into the nothingness of the projected stars. The white light that's consuming her pours out of her eyes.

 

SUE: RALPH...

 

**Panel Four**

SOPHIA looks on in horror. SUE has completely disappeared.

 

**PAGE FIFTEEN**

**Panel One**

A look of grim satisfaction on his face, the BARMAN holds up the bottle he's been expecting to contain SUE. 

 

**Panel Two**

His brow furrows: the bottle's still empty.

 

BARMAN: WAIT. WHAT?

 

**Panel Three**

He jerks suddenly bolt upright, as though an electric current is lancing through him. His fists clench, the veins in his neck and arms stand out (and let's not ponder the ectoplasmic hydraulics of *that* development), and his eyes are completely whited out.

SOPHIA flinches away from him, holding her hands up to cover her mouth.

 

**PAGE SIXTEEN**

The first three panels are arranged along the top row together; the fourth and fifth halve the remainder of the page vertically.

 

**Panel One**

The BARMAN shakes his head, clearing it, the white light fading out of his eyes. He lurches toward the pile of bottles filled with the trapped spirits. SOPHIA is still cowering away from him.

 

BARMAN: HRNGH.

 

**Panel Two**

The BARMAN gets ahold of the bottle containing amethyst liquid that he was holding before, snatching it out of the pile...

 

**Panel Three**

...and he smashes it against the wall of the observatory.

 

**Panel Four**

As SOPHIA looks on in shock the contents of the shattered bottle rise up in a twisting plume of smoke that begins gradually to resolve itself...

 

**Panel Five**

...into a human shape.

 

**PAGE SEVENTEEN**

**Panel One**

More specifically, into the shape of RALPH DIBNY. He stands amid the shattered bottle glass, looking befuddled beyond the telling of it.

 

**Panel Two**

RALPH clocks the BARMAN; his brow furrows in confusion...

 

RALPH: YOU - 

 

**Panel Three**

...and then anger. He grabs the BARMAN by the shirtfront, livid with rage.

 

RALPH: WHAT DID YOU **DO?** WHERE'S MY **WIFE?**

 

**Panel Four**

The BARMAN throws himself forwards and embraces RALPH tightly, face buried in RALPH's shoulder.

 

BARMAN: RALPH, IT'S **ME**.

 

**Panel Five**

RALPH looks stunned, but completes the hug, wrapping his arms around "the BARMAN"'s back.

 

RALPH: SOMETHING'S DIFFERENT. HONEY, DID YOU  CHANGE YOUR **HAIR?**

 

**PAGE EIGHTEEN**

**Panel One**

The possessed BARMAN steps back, hands still holding RALPH's upper arms, and beams at him.

 

RALPH: I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS **POSSIBLE** TO POSSESS  ANOTHER GHOST.

 

"BARMAN": WHAT CAN I SAY? I'M A SUPERHERO.

 

**Panel Two**

RALPH clocks all the other bottles stacked up on the floor, as the "BARMAN" reaches down to pick one of them up.

 

RALPH: MY GOD. THEN THESE MUST ALL BE -

 

"BARMAN": **BROKEN**.

 

**Panel Three**

The "BARMAN" uses one of the bottles to smash a swath through the others: broken glass and coloured liquid/steam explodes out into the room.

 

**Panel Four**

As the glass shards shower to the floor and the steam coalesces into the forms of the bar's bewildered patrons, including (prominently) the RED BEE and the BLUE BEETLE, the "BARMAN" folds "his" arms in satisfaction.

 

"BARMAN": AAAND I THINK I'M READY TO CHANGE BACK  INTO MY OWN SHOES.

 

**PAGE NINETEEN**

**Panel One**

The "BARMAN" gestures down at his own body.

 

"BARMAN": BUT WHAT DO WE DO WITH **HIM** WHEN HE'S BACK  IN THE DRIVING SEAT?

 

RALPH: WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT. I JUST NEED TO SEE  YOUR FACE AGAIN.

 

**Panel Two**

"BARMAN": RALPH, I'M **SERIOUS**. WE CAN'T JUST LET HIM  GO. BUT WE CAN'T PHYSICALLY HOLD HIM. 

 

SOPHIA: I KNOW WHAT WE DO.

 

**Panel Three**

We draw in close to SOPHIA now, revealing that she's holding the hipflask - removed unannounced from the BARMAN's pocket when he embraced her on page X panel Y. In the panel she's unscrewing the cap, a look of burning bitterness on her face.

 

"BARMAN": SOPHIA, NO. WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS HIS  WAY.

 

**Panel Four**

SOPHIA uncaps the bottle and casts its entire contents over the shocked BARMAN.

 

SOPHIA: AIN'T NO OTHER WAY.

 

**Panel Five**

The BARMAN curls forward as the liquid streaks down over him, rendering him instantly blurred and translucent wherever it trails. As he hunches forward SUE remains standing upright, effectively separating out of him, so they can both be seen in the panel.

 

BARMAN: HNGH.

SUE: NO.

 

**Panel Six**

A swirl of colored smoke, looking as though it's lit from within, lances from the place where the BARMAN had stood into the funneled bottle in SOPHIA's hands. SUE remains standing in one piece, just behind where the BARMAN was. She flinches back from it, eyes screwed closed, but holds her hands firm.

 

**Panel Seven**

As the light fades out SOPHIA jams a cork into the bottle, now filled with swirling light in the color of the BARMAN's clothes.

 

SOPHIA: ONLY ONE OTHER THING MY MOM TOLD ME ABOUT  HIM. 

HOW HE WAS  **KILLED.**

 

**PAGE TWENTY**

**Panel One**

SOPHIA's mouth is set in firm determination, but there's a brightness in her eyes that suggests tears.

 

SOPHIA: HIT BY A PROTECTION RACKET WHEN HE DIDN'T  PAY HIS DUES. **COULDN'T** PAY 'EM, BECAUSE  HE'D GIVEN MY MOM ALL HIS WAGES. SO SHE  COULD BUY DIAPERS FOR **ME.**

 

**Panel Two**

She stares down into the bottle in her hands.

 

SOPHIA: DEATH NEVER STOPPED HIM BEING WHO HE WAS. 

 

FOR MY MOM, FOR ME, THE FACT HE **DIED** WAS  NEVER THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT HIM.  WON'T LET IT BE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING  ABOUT ME.

 

**Panel Three**

She sets the bottle down on the floor.

 

SOPHIA: SO I AIN'T FIXING TO GO BACK, IF THAT'S  WHAT YOU'RE THINKING.

 

**Panel Four**

Aerial shot of the interior of the desolate observatory dome. At the far left the bar patrons are dusting themselves down, ready to file away. To the right of the group stand RALPH and SUE together, RALPH's arm around SUE's shoulder. Then comes the single filled bottle, isolated in the middle of the floor, and - to the panel's far right - SOPHIA, alone, walking away. 

 

CAPTION: SHE GOT THERE QUICKER THAN MOST.

 

**PAGE TWENTY ONE**

**Panel One**

The panels on this page all share a slightly washed-out color scheme, indicating a break from the action.

 

The first panel shows a costumed BARRY ALLEN as the guest of honor at an opening ceremony, holding a pair of outsized scissors as he cuts the tape on a brand-new building. The flashbulbs from the massed crowd of reporters illuminate the sign over the door: CENTRAL CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT: DIBNY CRIME LABORATORY.  

 

CAPTION:  DEATH ALONE SHOULD NOT DEFINE A PERSON.

 

**Panel Two**

MIKE CARBONE stands in his office, using a cloth to reverently polish the framed photograph on his wall that shows LATOYA MITTY.

 

CAPTION: IT SHOULDN'T GET TO DETERMINE WHAT OUR  LIVES MEANT.

 

**Panel Three**

A girl sits at a laptop, its screen filled with a browser window showing SOPHIA's Facebook profile page. The page is inundated with memorial messages from her friends.

 

CAPTION: IT HAS LESS POWER THAN WHO WE WERE.

 

**Panel Four**

BOOSTER GOLD and JAIME REYES lay flowers at  [ the memorial ](http://i26.tinypic.com/oj2nvp.jpg) the Birds of Prey girls put up for TED.

 

CAPTION: WHO REMEMBERS US, AND GOES ON CARING ABOUT US WHEN WE'RE GONE.

 

**Panel Five**

Finally, we see a woman in a heavy coat - SOPHIA's mother - pulling up the weeds from the BARMAN's grave. We're in close enough to the tombstone to read the words "and of his daughter Sophia Wallis", followed by the top half of some dates that for rolling continuity reasons shouldn't be fully legible.

 

CAPTION:  WHETHER WE HONOR THAT WITH WHAT WE DO NOW. 

 

**PAGE TWENTY TWO**

**Panel One**

RALPH lets himself, SUE, TED, and SOPHIA in to his and SUE's apartment. SUE is carrying the bottle in which SOPHIA trapped the BARMAN.

 

**Panel Two**

RALPH and SUE exchange a wordless look, squeezing each other's hands, while TED opens up the refrigerator and fishes out some bottles of beer.

 

**Panel Three**

Still without speaking, TED holds up one of the bottles to offer it to SOPHIA. She grimaces and shakes her head, demurring.

 

**Panel Four**

The four of them take seats on the elegant couch and chairs, all of them avoiding one another's eyes.

 

CAPTION: SO... WHAT DO WE DO NOW?

 

*END*


End file.
